Never
by BlondeBambi39
Summary: Caterina Valentine, or Cat as she prefers to be known, is 17 and in her final year at school. She has loving parents, loyal friends and a caring, attentive boyfriend, so how does she end up on Neverland, where only the lost go? All feedback appreciated!
1. Prolouge

''When are you going to realise, dear Caterina, that you belong to me, there is no escape unless I allow it, and I always gets what I want, love'' he purrs into my ear. ''You should give in to me now, stop fighting me, I could make life here so much more pleasurable for you.'' Suffocated by his weight holding me down I try once more to buck him off, eliciting a growl from him. ''You want to know when I'll give in'' I spit. ''Never, I will never stop fighting you; I will never stop trying to get home!'' His eyes darken and he bares his teeth at me. ''As you wish, darling, I much prefer the hard way anyway…..''

Caterina Valentine, or Cat as she prefers to be known, is 17 and in her final year at school. She has loving parents, loyal friends and a caring, attentive boyfriend, so how does she end up on Neverland, where only the lost go? After sneaking out to meet her boyfriend one night, she is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and is kidnapped by a shadow; torn from her normal life into a land of magic to satisfy Pan's every desire. Her only thought is to get back home, to fight for her freedom, but when a betrayal leads her to unexpectedly develop feelings for one of Neverland's residents, how will this affect her plans to escape?

Ouat fanfiction – this is one of my first attempts at writing, be gentle! Pan / OC, Felix / OC, very dark fic, non con & violence. Disclaimer I own none of the characters except Caterina, Nate & Bex, all other characters are property of JM Barrie & the creators of OUAT.


	2. Chapter 1 - Normal Life

**Cats P.O.V  
**

Cats P.O.V

The chirp of my alarm wakes me at 7am. I groan, roll over and hit snooze once, then again. As it goes off a 3rd time, I decide I should drag myself out of bed. Yawning, I stumble into the bathroom, rubbing my eyes and glance in the mirror. My long silver blonde hair is a tangled mess, my ocean blue eyes all crusty (yuck) and my usually pale skin flushed from sleep. Nothing a hot shower can't fix, I think as I strip and hop in. 20 minutes later; I'm clean, shaved and sweet smelling. Back in my room, I dry off and dress in black skinny jeans, a blue shirt and black sparkly pumps. Looking at the clock I realise I'm late, so I quickly blow dry my hair, apply some eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss and search for my bag. ''Damn, it must be somewhere.'' Running down the stairs, I barrel into a strong, broad chest. ''Whoa, slow down, kiddo!'' I look into my father's smiling face. ''Did we set our alarm a little late again?'' I grin and kiss his cheek. ''Hi, dad. Not at all, just getting in a morning jog.'' ''Right, so Bex isn't sitting out front in the car waiting for you, she's honked twice'' he says, amused. My grin turns sheepish. ''Oops, got to run, see you!'' I rush into the kitchen, his laugh following me through. ''Morning honey, sleep in again?'' ''Hi mum, I may have hit snooze once or twice'' I giggle, ''have you seen my bag?'' ''It's over there on the work top, I've already put a croissant for your breakfast in, I knew you wouldn't have time as usual'' she says with an eye roll and a smile. With a quick ''love you, you're the best'' I grab the bag and race out the door and down the path.

I open the door to Bex's car and dive in. ''Good afternoon, Miss Valentine, thank you for gracing us with your presence.'' I laugh and look over at my best friends scowling face. ''I'm sorry'' I pout, trying to look as contrite as possible, earning a reluctant grin from her. ''If that were true you wouldn't be late like EVERY morning'' she grumbles but I knew I was forgiven. The drive to school is filed with our chatter and singing along to the radio. As we pull into a parking spot, Bex flicks her short dark hair out of her eyes and says ''hottie alert.'' I look up and smile at my boyfriend of a year, taking in his tall, well-built form slouched against a tree waiting. I leap out of the car and into his arms. ''Hey baby, missed you'' Nate murmurs. ''Missed you too'' I breath, going on my tiptoes to kiss him. He towers over my 5'3 self, but then so did most people. I smile against his lips as I hear a retching sound from behind me. ''Seriously, guys, I just ate!'' comes Bex's voice. I go to step away but Nate just pulls me back, growling ''you don't have to watch, perv'' before sliding his lips back onto mine. He tastes of his usual mint toothpaste and his usual aftershave, cK1; I give a little sigh as my body relaxes into his arms. ''I'm not perving, thank you, and if you keep that up we'll be late'' Bex replies indignantly. He groans and lifts his head to glare at her. ''You are such a pain in the ass sometimes!'' She laughs and turns towards the school, Nate grabs my hand and we all head to class. 8 hours later we escape back into the sunshine. ''Good God, my head is pounding, and I only had 3 classes today, how the hell do you cope with 4?!'' Bex complains as we head for the car park. I laugh and grab her hand. ''It's because I actually like school, unlike some.'' She snorts and put on a fake American accent ''I'm going to be famous, darling; I don't need to put up with the lectures.'' ''As long as you don't forget me when you're in Hollywood babe'' I say lightly. She giggles and pulls me into a hug. ''You're my bff for life, there's always a room for you in my mansion.'' ''Ladies, as much as I love a bit of girl love, break it up, I'd like to drive my girlfriend home'' Nate disturbs us. ''Eew'' I laugh as I wrinkle my nose at him. ''Always lowering the tone, Roberts'' Bex drawls disgustedly. She grabs me for another hug then walks off. ''Love you, PLEASE be on time tomorrow, and remember peeps, always use protection!'' I blush furiously, glancing up at Nate who grins at me, running a hand through his short black hair, green eyes sparkling. We hadn't actually slept together yet, both of us are still virgins (which my 'bff' knows) but our last few make out sessions had got rather hot and heavy. ''Well that's a great opener for what I wanted to say'' he says softly as we walk to his car. He holds the door open and I scramble in, heart pounding a little at his words.

After he gets in and starts up the car I glance coyly at him from under my lashes and ask ''so, are you going to elaborate further?'' He flashes me his famous grin. ''Uh, sure. My folks are away tonight and I wandered if you wanted to stay with me.'' He swallows nervously, watching the road intently. I smile at his nervousness, it somehow gives me confidence. ''That sounds great. I'll need to sneak out, my folks would freak if I told them'' I grimace. He laughs and we start planning. We pull up at my house and he jumps out, rushes round and opens my door. As I get out, he closes the door and presses me against the car, leaning his hard muscled body onto mine. ''Are you sure about tonight, I can wait if you're not ready, Cat'' he said seriously, looking into my eyes. My heart skips a beat. ''Nate, I'm ready. I love you.'' A delighted smile appears on his face. ''Love you too, baby.'' He lowers his face to mine and captures my mouth in a searing kiss, swiping his tongue over my bottom lip, seeking entrance which I gladly give. He moans quietly as he slips his tongue inside, fighting mine for dominance and grinding his hips against me. I could feel him grow hard against my thigh, and I pull away breathlessly. ''Let's save this for when we are not in public and in view of my parents'' I say hoarsely. ''Ok, babe, so shall I see you around 10pm?'' he asks, breathing heavily. ''Yeah'' I whisper. He leans in and kisses me softly once more. ''See you soon'' he winks. Oh my God, I think as I rushed inside, I have to call Bex and plan an outfit!


	3. Chapter 2 - The Shadows Task

Peters P.O.V

Peter Pan woke in bed with his usual morning wood and scowls. Sighing, he grips himself, giving a few strokes. He starts to think it was maybe time to bring a girl to the island again to see to his little 'problem'. It had been a while since he satisfied his need for female companionship, and doing it himself just wasn't working anymore, he needed to bury himself in a warm body. Sure, he looked like a teenager now, but he had once been a man, a man with normal desires and now as a teen with raging hormones he still had the same desires, just amplified. He would usually have his shadow go into the human world and fetch him a pretty girl every few months, she would stay to service him until he grew bored of her and then, being the kind, caring leader he was, he passed the girl onto his lost boys for a week or two to enjoy before wiping her memory with magic and sending her home. He didn't see it as cold and callous at all, as the girls, while to start out were all shy and unwilling, fell for his handsome face and muscled body, usually much too quickly for his liking - he didn't even have to try & charm most of them. They usually ended up begging him to take them as they were vapid & easily manipulated, and he ended up getting them off the island because they became clingy, needy, wanted some sort of commitment. He was never going to offer that, commitment was for grownups, and he had no intention of ever treading that path again.

The last few girls the shadow had brought had lost his interest after only a few days, as they had no fire, no spark, nothing to entertain him. The lost boys had enjoyed these girls immensely, as their lack of inhibitions suited their needs, but not Pan's. He liked something more in his girls, a little fight in them, a challenge. After he was done, almost every girl was also more than happy to let his lost boys shag them senseless, suckers for a little bit of attention. Not that the girls consent was exactly necessary but it certainly made things 'easier' if they did agree. But, he thinks as he groans and pulls faster on his throbbing cock, it had been at least 3 months since he had sent the last girl back, a willowy redhead he couldn't remember the name of. Didn't need to remember her name to remember the feel of her lips around him, remember how her throat had encased his whole length, how hot & moist it was in there and it was with this in mind he increases his pace until he spurts quietly into his hand as he climaxes. He groans once more, climbing out of bed and cleans up his mess. After dressing in his usual green shirt, trousers and knee high boots, he gives himself a cursory glance in the mirror. Dark messy hair, dark eyes, dark smile, no wander none of them ever resisted him, he smirks. He strides out of his tent to find Felix, his 2nd in command. The camp is already bustling with activity as his lost boys cook some rabbit they have caught for breakfast. He spots Felix sitting stoking the fire, and seats himself next to him.

''Morning, Pan'' says the tall blonde boy in his monotone voice without looking up to see the new arrival. ''What's the plan for today?'' Pan gives an evil smile and replies ''today we need to find the shadow, my friend.'' Felix's scarred face whips up. ''You mean-.'' ''Yes'' Pan interrupts, ''I feel the need once again, and want to get him to fetch a new girl for us.'' He laughs internally at the irony of his words, the girl would most definitely not be for 'us', she would be for him and him alone until he was done with her, then and only then could the lost boys play with her. A slow smile spreads across Felix's face. ''Any special requests this time?'' he questions his leader. Pan ponders this question for a moment before replying ''A blonde this time, I think, it's been an age since I had a blonde.'' ''Good choice, boss'' Felix agrees, not that disagreeing was an option. Pan had a wicked temper when crossed and he had proof of that written all over his face. ''We'll go to dark hollow after breakfast. The boys can prepare the camp for our new arrival instead of training as both of us will be gone'' Pan says dismissively as he looks around. The camp is littered with bones, animal hides and broken branches. ''Sure, I'll make sure they are busy'' Felix responds. A boy shuffles over with two wooden plates of food for Pan and Felix, ending the conversation as they eat ravenously, stuffing rabbit in their mouths as fast as possible with their fingers, manners had no place on an island filled with boys. Once they are done, Pan stands and walks to the edge of the forest as Felix hollers instructions at the boys and turns to join him. They walk quickly and quietly through the trees, emerging in the dark hollow within 2 hours of leaving camp. Pan could of course, have teleported, but Felix didn't have that talent. ''Shadow'' Peter barks out, making Felix wince next to him out of reflex. The black shape soars gracefully towards them, and hovers just above them, eyes burning like coals in its dark head. ''You called?'' it whispers in its deep, gravelly voice, sending a shiver down Felix's spine. ''I want you to go to the human realm and bring me back a young girl, around 17 or 18, pretty, slim and with blonde hair'' Pan orders in his clipped English accent. ''As you wish'' the shadow hisses and glides up into the sky. Pan and Felix watch it go, excitement building in their stomachs in anticipation of what shadow would bring them and the games they could play with their new acquisition. Once the shadow is no more than a black dot in the sky, they turn back to camp to inform the boys of their expected visitor.


	4. Chapter 3 - This Was A Very Bad Idea

Cats P.O.V

I stand in front of my full length mirror, twisting and turning to check how I look from every angle. A huge pile of discarded outfits lay in a mess on the floor. I think I had settled on a black, off the shoulder top that showed off my lacy black bra strap and the small (illegal) tiger tattoo id had done on the back of my shoulder in Turkey on my 17th birthday, pale denim mini shorts and my favourite black converse. I had mused over heels for nearly twenty minutes, but they didn't facilitate a quiet exit from the house, so had been rejected in favour of something a bit more practical. Not that it mattered, the booty shorts managed to make my legs look incredibly long, which was a miracle given my lack of height! I had styled my hair into soft waves falling almost to my waist, and had on some subtle makeup, touch of blusher, liquid eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss. The only jewellery I wear is a heart necklace given to me by my gran before she died, I never take it off, but it sets off the neckline of my top nicely. My heart flutters as I thought of what Nate would think when he saw me and I could feel the nervousness gathering at the back of my throat. I grab my phone from the bedside table, snap a picture of myself posing in the mirror & send it to Bex. _Well, what do you think? xx_. My phone buzzes 30 seconds later. _You look, hot, stop being a wimp and get your sexy ass over to Nate's! Call me in the morning; I'll need all the juicy details! xx_. I grin, almost able to hear her firing questions at me already.

Tiptoeing over to the door I crack it open an inch and hear the TV on in my parent's room. Good, that meant they were in bed and won't come out again tonight. I had already gone to the bathroom with my dressing gown on earlier as they were coming upstairs, so they hopefully wouldn't suspect anything. Walking over to the window, I take a deep breath and give myself a pep talk - I'm a grown up, Nate loves me and there is no need to be nervous. I open the window slowly to avoid any creaking & climb as quietly as possible on to the rose trellis that lines one whole side of the house. With practiced ease, I slither down the trellis and land soundlessly on the balls of my feet, I'd been doing this since I was 14, so had perfected a sneaky getaway. Shouldering my leather rucksack, which I've packed with clean clothes, some toiletries & a toothbrush, I slink down the path and around the corner of the street as noiselessly as possible. It's already pitch black outside, but Nate only lives 5 streets away. Deciding to take the short cut through the park to avoid being seen, I leap a small wall and jog across the grass. I slow to a halt, feeling eyes on me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand. Gazing round the empty park, I squint and see nothing. Pushing down my fear, I continue on, a bit more wary. I've spent my entire life in this neighbourhood, I know everyone who lives here and every hiding place, it's not possible for someone to be watching me, and I see no movement in my line of vision. Still, that paranoid feeling won't go away, and a cold breeze chills me. I suddenly become aware of the lack of any sound other than the grass crunching under my feet, no chirping crickets, no hooting owls, and no cars driving past, its deathly silent. I start softly singing to myself to calm my anxiety, getting my phone out of my pocket. The screen lights up as I touch it, immediately making me feel a little better. I type a quick message to Nate – made it out, just cutting through the park, will be with you soon 3 xx – as I continue walking and press send just as I hit into something solid & cold. Falling back, I land hard on my ass, gasping as feel my phone slip from my grasp and hit the ground with a smashing noise. Shock radiates through my body, and I glance up at…..nothing. There is nothing there. Goosebumps rise on my arms as I slowly get to my feet, panting and twisting my head in all directions, trying to figure out what happened. There's still nothing around me. I cautiously bend down to pick up my smashed phone when I feel it, a chill, and the sense of someone leaning over me, hands gripping my waist. I squeal in fright, immediately spinning round and hitting out at what looks like a ghost, with fire eyes burning at me.

I am frozen in absolute horror. ''You'll do perfectly'' its slithery voice seemed to slip over my skin, making me shudder in disgust. I then felt its hand wrap around my wrist and start pulling, hauling me away from the gate id almost reached to leave the park, towards the dark bushes & tress just off the path. Panic set in, adrenaline flooded my limbs and I explode into action. ''NOOOOO-mpf'' I try to scream as it clamped its other cold hand over my mouth. I kick out, trying to hit the ghost's legs, but they sink into it; it seemed to be as insubstantial as clouds, which didn't make sense considering the strong grip it had on me. I pull in the opposite direction to where the evil ghost is trying to take me, digging my heels into the grass, but making no purchase with my flat converse and trying with all my might to pull its strong, wispy hand away so I can scream out loud, my muffled squeaks too quiet and pathetic to get anyone's attention nearby. Tears blur my eyes as I struggle to breathe, my panicked mind not able to form any other coherent thought. I see the thing turn its head towards me, pinning me in its red gaze. It seems to loosen its grip on my wrist, hope sputters up in my chest, it's going to let me go, but all it does is transfer its grip to my neck, squeezing a little on my windpipe. My chest tightens and I can see black dots on the outskirts of my vision, and I desperately struggle to free myself from its clutches. Lack of breath has already made my attempts to shout for help come out as weak stutters. As the blackness overwhelms me, my last thought is of Nate, sitting waiting for me, and hoping that he doesn't think I stood him up, that he will come looking for me and get help.


	5. Chapter 4 - Delivery

Felix's P.O.V

I step out of the forest; several fish freshly caught weighing down the rucksack I had strapped to my waist. As I enter the camp, I see a few of the boys stirring. Catching sight of me, they immediately leap to their feet & start preparing the fire for today's breakfast. I sit on one of the logs, and take out my knife. It was long and curved, and always strapped to my body. I actually had several knives, as well as the club I liked to carry around. With pirates on the island and mermaids always more than happy to drown you if you got too close, protection was necessary on this island. Pretty soon, I have most of the fish cooking on the fire the boys had going. Rufio takes a seat next to me. ''Felix, did Pan really send the shadow for another girl?'' he questions. ''Of course he did'' I reply in a low tone. ''Don't let him hear you questioning his word, or you know what will happen''. He glances around before smiling smugly ''Awesome! Can't wait for him to throw her out of his tent already, though not sure why we have to sit around and wait for his leftovers'' he grumbles. I glare at him, letting him know what I thought of his stupid remarks. ''Pan is our leader, he is the strongest, he has the most magic and he saved us all from lives on the streets by bringing us here, and this is your idea of gratitude?'' I spit, my voice shaking with anger. Rufio's tan skin pales. ''No, not at all Felix, just heard some of the other boys talking, I don't think like that at all' he whines. ''Be sure and remind them where their loyalty lies if you hear that kind of talk again, as if Pan was to catch wind, punishments would be severe'' I growl. He stands and practically runs off.

''Well handled, Felix'' comes Pans voice from the trees behind me. ''We'll need to keep eyes on Rufio.'' I stand, assuring Pan that it was nothing I couldn't deal with. ''Fair enough'' he smirks, ''after all, he is your brother, and the reason you wear that scar.'' He turns to walk away but spins back. ''By the way, the shadow should be back with my present this morning, take a scouting party and head down the beach to find her for me, and remember Felix, anyone touches her inappropriately, and I'll have their hand. She's mine.'' At this, he stalks off. I languidly stretch, eyeing the boys around me. ''Rufio, Slightly, come on, we are going on a search mission.'' They leap to their feet, darkly excited looks on their faces. I grab my club and we head into the forest, the boys whooping behind me. A short time later, we emerge, creeping silently onto the sunny beach, ensuring there were no threats. I scan the shoreline, looking for the girl. Nothing yet. I take a seat on a fallen tree, scowling at the boys as they race about like children at the seaside for the first time, trying to push each other in the water. I watch the waves crashing on to the shore, keeping a sharp eye open for mermaids, who unlike the stories told to children back in my land were nasty, evil creatures who drowned you then ate you. A shout from Slightly catches my attention, he's pointing to the sky, where a black shape is steadily getting bigger. I get to my feet and wait. The shadow sees me, and changes course towards me. He finally touches down and drops a bundle at my feet. ''She's unconscious', I state blandly. ''Yes, I had a bit of trouble procuring this one, she didn't come quietly, I had to subdue her'' it hisses. ''Is that all he requires of me?'' ''Yes, you can return to dark hollow.'' As soon as it takes off, the boys converge on me, staring at the exquisite creature he had deposited with open mouths. 'Wow, she's is HOT'! Slightly's voice comes out gruff as he gazes at her. It did seem that the shadow had captured a true beauty, her long blonde hair looked soft and shiny, her skin was like smooth cream, and her body was slim yet curvy, and quite exposed in her tiny shorts, she made my mouth water and my trousers tighten to just look at her. I notice Rufio leaning over as if to touch her, and swipe at his hand with my club. He frowns at me, and I warn him in my deep voice – ''you know the rules, don't touch her, for now she is Pan's. Now let's get going and keep watch for the pirates.''

I kneel down and grab her wrists, noticing one is all bruised. She must have put up some fight for the shadow to hurt her. ''Slightly, rope please.'' He passes the coarse twine to me, and I tie her hands together in front of her. I then put my hands under her shoulders & knees, and lift her, throwing her body over my shoulder. I face the boys, and see they are entranced by her inert form hanging over me, the expression on my brother's face in particular concerning me; he was looking at her greedily with a dark look in his eyes. ''Hey'' I snap sharply, ''none of that or Pan will remove your eyes.'' They turn, Rufio giving me a resentful look, and we began to trudge back through the forest to camp. The warnings I had given the lost boys still echoed in my ears as I slide my hand up her smooth thigh and over her firm ass, trying to get her situated better on my shoulder. I couldn't help the small twitch my cock gave at the contact, but I swallow hard and use one hand to discreetly rearrange myself. On reaching camp, I stride straight into Pan's tent, and throw her onto his bed. Untying her wrists from each other, I attach each one to the headboard and re-tie the rope round them. Glancing at her face, I sweep one finger over her cheek, running it along the rim of her lips and down her breastbone, pulling back sharply as Pan bursts in. ''Finally!'' he exclaims and swaggers over to look at his new toy. ''Did you knock her out?'' he asks. ''No, the shadow had some trouble with her, he did it.'' ''Ah, she has some fire to her then'' he chuckles as he approaches the bed. ''Well, now, it seems the shadow has surpassed himself with this one'' he leers, ''she's stunning. Can't wait to have some fun with her.'' He leans over her prone form, and I turn and leave the sleeping beauty at Pans mercy.


	6. Chapter 5 - Is This A Nightmare?

Cats P.O.V

It was a sense of being faintly uncomfortable that rouses me from my sleep, my muscles feel sore, my arms are aching, and I have a sore throat and pounding head. Good god, I hope im not getting ill, I hate being ill. I try to roll over, perplexed to find I cant. Prising my eyes open, I am momentarily stunned to realise I'm not in my room. My brain feels a little fuzzy, but I suddenly remember I was going to Nate's house, so of course im not in my room. I attempt to lean forward in bed and only then do I become aware of the fact that my hands are painfully restrained above me. A sense of alarm starts creeping over me as I pull my arms again, almost wrenching my shoulders out of the sockets. I swivel my head round and squint up to see my wrists bound to a headboard with rope. My breath starts coming in short pants, as memories flood me, sneaking out of the house, the shadow creature grabbing me in the park and choking me, blacking out…..I start to have a full blown panic attack, thrashing around trying to free myself, shrieking at the top of my lungs in between my shallow breaths, causing more burning pain to flare in my arms & wrists, but I lost the ability for rational thinking at the point I realised I was tied down. ''Woah there, Caterina, calm down, love.'' A voice cuts through my hysteria and my face is pressed into a hard chest, muffling my cries. I jerk violently away and come into contact with a pair of green eyes looking back at me. I immediately dissolve into tears, and sink my head back onto his chest, feeling his arms going round me. ''Oh, god, Nate'' I sniffle out, ''I was so scared, I had a terrible nightmare.'' ''Ssssh, your safe now'' he sooths, rubbing circles on my back. My sobs slowly subside as he repeats this over and over. His hand slowly drifts to the base of my back and trails along my leg, which is still bare due to the shorts I'm wearing. His other hand slithers up my neck, into my hair and I feel him press his nose into it and inhale. I give a little hiccup and sigh, leaning into Nate, calming my erratic heartbeat by breathing in his scent which smells like wood, smoke & sea. Wait a minute; Nate smells of mint and aftershave….and why would he tie me up? My eyes pop open and I wrench away from the person holding me.

The brown haired stranger looks down at me surprised, studying me with interest. A feral grin crosses his young, good looking face, dark eyes amused. ''Finally figured out im not 'Nate' then, have we.'' I am unable to reply, just stare at him in disbelief. ''Love, I know im good looking, but there is really no need to stare.'' As he smirks at me, rage fills my whole body. I screech at him and try to lunge forward, forgetting for a moment that I'm tied up. He leaps back, shocked, and falls off the edge of the bed he was perched on. ''WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY THE FUCK AM I TIED TO THE BED! LET ME GO NOW'' I screech at the top of my voice. He glowers up at my from his seat on the floor, stands and calmly dusts himself off ''Now, Caterina, that's not ladylike language'' he chastises me. I feel a jolt run through me as he speaks my name. ''How..how do you know who I am?'' I stammer, eyeing him warily. Im fairly certain I don't know this tall, dark haired teen, why was I here? He reaches over and grabs my chin. ''I know a lot about you, Caterina. You are 17 years old and you live in London, England, and last night, on your way to meet ''Nate'' you snuck out of the house all alone.'' My eyes widen at his words. ''Who the hell are you?'' I snap at him as I twitch out of his grasp. He smiles and straightens up. ''Apologies, my dear, I did forget to introduce myself, im Peter Pan.'' My jaw drops as I goggle at him. ''Excuse me?'' I say incredulously. He frowns. ''Did you not hear me? Im Peter Pan.'' I stare at him dumfounded, before nervously stuttering ''st…stop messing about, tell me what's going on, who are you and why am I here.'' A look of confusion wrinkles his brow as he peers at me. 'Im not sure why this is so difficult for you to understand, I'll say one more time. I am Peter, Peter Pan.''

I decide to let it slide for the moment. ''Ok, ''Peter Pan'' I drawl sarcastically. ''Could you do me a favour and untie me?'' ''Not just yet, Love, I haven't explained the rules'' he smiles, leaning over and smoothing back a lock of hair that had fallen into my eyes. I pull away from the contact. ''Rules?'' I ask confused. ''What rules, just untie me you freak and let me go home.'' I could feel my anger levels rising again. ''That's not how it works, Caterina, you are far, far away from home, and you can't leave Neverland without my permission, which I don't plan on giving until im tired of you'' he sneers. I feel uneasy at his words, this guy is a nutcase; he's tied me to a bed, thinks he is Peter Pan and that we were in Neverland. I start to laugh, and before I knew it, I was in giggling deliriously, tears rolling down my cheeks and loud guffaws coming from my mouth. He just observes me quietly for a few minutes before raising his hand and slapping me hard across the cheek. My laughter immediately cuts off as my head snaps to one side, and I slowly turn back to look at him, stunned, my cheek stinging with the force of his blow. He leans towards me. ''Let's get one thing clear, Caterina, I will not be laughed at'' he snarls. ''I think perhaps you are a little overwhelmed for now, so I shall leave you to adjust to your new situation, get some sleep and tomorrow we can go over what I expect from you.'' With this he firmly presses his lips to mine, pulling away before I can react and striding out of the room, leaving me stupefied. I must be dreaming, I think to myself, why can't I wake up. I spend hours hollering for help and pulling at my binds, until my throat, already sore from the ghost creature throttling me, was raw and my voice comes out a hoarse croak and I could feel blood running down my arms. I finally give up, weeping loudly until I drift into a fitful sleep.


	7. Chapter 6 - Lets Play

Cats P.O.V

I awake with a start. A sharp pain in my wrists and deep ache in my arms reminds me where I was and brings back the harsh reality that none of it was a dream. I've been kidnapped by a crazy boy that thinks he is Peter Pan. I try to adjust my position, groaning as the burning in my wrists increases. It's dark and as far as I can tell, I'm alone. I've had enough; I'm getting out of here. I get on my knees and with some incredibly painful manoeuvring, manage to twist round so I am facing the headboard with my arms crossed in front of me. I exhale sharply at the red, chafed state of my wrists, dried blood trails all down my forearms. At first, I attempt to bite at the ropes but after hurting my teeth, I give up that idea. C'mon, Cat, you're smart, you can figure something out! I study the headboard and figure if I can snap the wooden rail I was tied to, I can slide the ropes off the broken end and free myself! Shifting so I'm sat on my butt with my legs in between my hands, I listen carefully for a few minutes. I couldn't hear anything, so I cautiously lift my right leg and kick at the wooden board with all my might, biting my lip hard to stifle the moan of pain the action causes, stilling to see if the noise brings any attention. After nothing happens I repeat the action and on my 3rd attempt, the wood splinters beneath my blow. I could have cried with relief as I slide my arms along to the broken joint and free myself. I stand and stretch every muscle to the point where I feel them popping. I manage to untie the ropes from my wrists and am horrified by the mess they are in; deep friction burns circle both arms. Pure hatred fills me and almost makes me wish the bastard was here so I could kill him. Almost.

I survey the room, searching for my bag or anything I can use as a weapon. Creeping over to a chest of drawers, I quietly open each one and look around inside for anything useful. The top one contains my purse and my driver's license, which I grab. So that's how he knew my name at least. The 2nd drawer holds a wicked looking knife which I also swipe. Nothing else catches my attention and I still have no bag. I sigh with frustration as I turn back to the bed and joy lights my face as I spot my bag strap peeking out from under it! I snatch it up and ram my purse in then look for my phone. I check every pocket and my heart sinks into my toes as I realise it's not there. I have a sudden flashback of dropping my phone and never picking it up when the weird spectre thing grabbed me. So I can't call for help but someone will find my phone - that would surely help them find me! In the meantime, I have to get as far away from this madman as possible. Keeping the knife in my hand, I cautiously approach the area where the boy had disappeared to. I was amazed to realise I'm actually in a tent. I extend a trembling hand and slowly lift the tent door flap. Peering out, all I can see are trees; I seem to be in some sort campsite in the woods. My attention is caught by a fire with embers dying, surrounded by dark mounds lying on the ground, giving me a little light to see. I slowly ease myself out of the tent and creep round the side, away from the fire. Figuring the trees will be easy to hide in; I head straight for them, checking every step I take to ensure I don't snap any branches or trip. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel my pulse in my ears, and I'm convinced at any moment I'll hear a shout or feel a hand on my shoulder. The closer I get to the tree line, the more tempted I am to break into a run, but I resist the impulse, positive it would give me away. I hold my breath as I get closer to the woods, exhaling loudly as I make it past the first row of trees. I've done it! I pause for a moment to enjoy the feeling of relief which is breaking over my body in waves, completely oblivious to the malicious presence sitting in a nearby tree observing me. I let out a breathy laugh and take a step away from the camp when I hear a sound that freezes my blood.

Slow clapping comes from my left. ''I'm impressed, Love, I didn't think you had it in you'' his voice floats from the gloom. I hear a whoosh of air and a thud as something, or should I say someone jumps to the ground. He emerges, grinning broadly. My hand shakes as I hold the stolen knife out towards him. ''Don't come any closer'' I boom, my tone surprising me by coming out strong despite the paralyzing fear I feel sending ice through my veins. He stops his advance at this and throws his head back and laughs, long and loud. It was disturbing. ''My dear, what are you planning to do with that? You're not going to use a knife on me. Although I have to admit I admire your nerve.'' His eyes burn with sardonic amusement. ''Im warning you once more let me go now or I'll be forced to hurt you'' I repeat calmly, hoping he can't hear my racing heart. The grin remains on his face as he takes one step towards me. I leap at him with the knife with no hesitation, the surprise of my sudden attack meaning he doesn't quite dodge me in time and I slice his arm, drawing blood. I spin to face his again, knife still extended in my shaking grip. ''Now, are you going to let me leave'' I hiss. His smarmy smile is still in place as he glances at the blood trickling down his forearm. He holds his hand over it with his eyes shut for a moment, and when his hand moves, the wound is gone, only the blood remains. I blink, thinking it must be a trick of some kind. ''No, Caterina, I'm not. I have, however, thought of my first game for you.'' At this he moves faster than my eyes can follow and I feel his hand bending my wrist backwards, I cry out in pain and drop the knife. Keeping his grip on me he tows me back into the camp. ''Boys' he roars, and I'm horrified to see the dark shapes I'd seen earlier all come to life and gather round us. ''Let's play'' he crows, and a cheer deafens me.


	8. Chapter 7 - The Game

Cats P.O.V

I shake with terror as the boys surround me. I can't see any girls or adults, just boys, some of them very young; they ranged from around age 8 - 20. Right now they seem to be doing some crazed sort of war dance, whooping & hollering. I turn towards my captor and try to prise his fingers from my arm but all he does is jerk harshly on my wrist, making me fall to my knees with a strangled yelp of pain. ''Look at this, boys'' he shouts into the melee, making they all stop to look at him. ''We haven't even started and she's already on her knees for me.'' The crowd jeer and catcall at this. ''Giving up already, Love, very sensible'' he licks his lips. I gather every ounce of hatred I feel and direct it into the look I give him. ''Never'' I spit. This just seems to amuse him farther. ''I was so hoping you would say that'' he replies in his clipped tone. ''OK, listen up. I have a new game for you. In light of our new...camp-mate attempting to escape, I've thought of a fitting punishment for her. I'm going to let her run.'' ''What'' I exclaim, sure I've misheard him. He ignores me completely and continued addressing the crowd. ''She will be allowed an hour's head start, before you hunt her'' he proclaims, receiving another round of whoops and whistling. ''If she evades you all for say, the next 12 hours, I'll let her go home.'' I struggle to my feet, distracting him, and stare at him in shock. He spares me one amused look and continues with his speech. ''As I said, if she can hide from you all for 12 hours, I'll let her leave Neverland. But if one of you catch her, she stays till I say she can leave.'' ''BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU WERE LETTING ME GO'' I scream. He gives me a disdainful look. ''No, I said I'd let you run, not that I'm letting you go.'' I frown, not understanding what he means. He watches in amusement as comprehension slowly dawns on me, my expression turning to utter dismay. He was letting me go so these boys could chase me; hunt me down like some sort of animal. I was sport, a game to them. Tears threaten to come, but I swallow them back, refusing to show weakness in front of my tormentor.

''So the rules are you can't hurt her, whoever catches her first wins, and must bring her back to camp and no one chases her until the hour head start is up. Cheaters will be punished'' he says ominously, and the group of boys all shudder. What kind of monster was he if his own friends were scared of him? ''I believe, Pan, you have forgotten to inform us of the reward for winning'' says a deep, mournful voice from the crowd. ''Of course, Felix can't have a game without reward'' the boy muses. The gathering seemed to wait with baited breath as he ponders this. He studies me for a moment then gives a brilliant, sinister smile that makes me feel sick to my stomach. ''Got it!'' he declares. ''The winner can have the pleasure of Caterina's company for a night in a few days from now, after I have had her'' he bows to the group, who howl and whistle louder than I've heard, as my jaw falls open in astonishment. He offered them what? I shriek in rage and throw myself at him, ready to tear his eyes out of his head. How dare he offer me around like I was a possession, an object to be passed around! He seems to sense my approach and he whips round and backhands me hard across the face, knocking me to the ground on all fours at his feet, tasting blood. His blow has split my lip. Most of the boys laugh cruelly. I hear the same monotone voice as before declare ''well, it looks like that is a prize indeed based on that little show of anger. I like a bit of fight in a girl.'' The group all chuckle darkly at this, including 'Peter'. I manage to identify the speaker and send him death with my glare. The tall, muscled blonde, who had had a scar running from forehead to chin marring his otherwise good looks, just winks at me in response. ''Everyone clear on the rules?'' Peter barks. The group all give sounds of accent, eyes fixed on me with excited looks on their faces. I scan the crowd once more, hoping desperately to find someone who will help me, who looks sympathetic, waiting for them to say ''hey, it's all a joke'' but see only lust and eagerness for a hunt with me as the prey. My legs wobble as I rise to my feet a second time, wiping the blood from my face. ''Well Caterina, I suggest you run. Your hour starts now'' he snickers.

I spin away from him and sprint for the trees, hands over my ears to block out their cries as they shout after me, my heart trying to escape through my chest it's pounding so hard. I run as fast as my legs can carry me, adrenaline making me oblivious to the small scrapes on my arms and legs from branches whipping against me. I crash through the bushes and vines in a flat out panic, running for nearly 50 minutes straight before my wheezing lungs beg me to stop. I collapse, and pull myself up on a huge oak tree, leaning against it as I wipe the sweat that had trickled down my face and into my eyes and drawing in deep, shaky breaths. My legs shake from exertion. This isn't going to get you anywhere I think. Pretty soon that boys will be coming after you, they are probably faster and stronger than me, if I'm going to avoid being caught, I need to be smart and not just crash around in the woods till I was found. I have to outwit them, not outrun them. That was the only way I was going to win this game. I survey my surroundings as I catch my breath, spotting the path I'd run through easily, as branches were snapped and grass underfoot trampled down in a clear trail, which I'm positive the boys would follow easily. I had to figure out a way to hide my tracks. I look at the sky to see if I can spot the North Star, try and figure out which direction I was traveling in, but the canopy blocks my view. Thick, sturdy branches mean I can't see a thing. Wait a minute...I could climb the trees to avoid leaving a trail! I turn to the oak I had perched against and reach up to the nearest solid looking branch, hauling myself up and walking cautiously along it until I'm close enough to jump to the next bough, only just managing to keep my balance and not plunge to the ground. If I was careful, this might just work!


	9. Chapter 8 - The Chase

Felix P.O.V

''3...2…..1…..GO'' Pan hollers and most of the boys take off towards the forest where Caterina had run to, crowing and whooping loudly. We weren't worried about her hearing us coming; the game was a foregone conclusion. We all knew the island inside out; there was no way at all she could hide from us, she probably even thought she was still in the human world. Pan knew this too; he never set a game unless the odds were stacked in his favour. As I stride into the forest I see some of the very young boys returning to the logs and sitting, not taking part. They hadn't completed all their training yet and Pan had ordered them not to join in this hunt. Probably for the best, they were too young to know what to do with the prize. Studying the treeline, I see she has left a clear trail through the bushes, so start to follow, knowing it was her and not one of the others I was tracking as they boys could travel through the woods without leaving any markers, I had trained them myself, and would be doing their level best to ensure they found her without any of the other boys following their path. About 4 miles and an hour and a half in, the trail abruptly stops dead and there is a few boys searching the surrounding underbrush to check if she has hidden there but finding nothing, all move on. I grudgingly admitted some respect for her; she has gotten pretty far and was smart, trying to cover her tracks. I figured we would have her in 20 minutes flat; she might actually make this difficult for us after all. She was obviously unaware that the challenge just made it more fun. As the boys headed off in different directions to look for her, I hold back. I was the second best tracker on the island (Pan was first, what with his magical ability to know where everyone was at any given time, one of the reasons he wasn't taking part in the hunt as that would be cheating) so I should have no problem finding how she left this spot. I pace around the clearing, looking in all directions for any small sign she had left. It was only when I glance up I find it. A couple of small branches had been snapped just above a sturdy looking tree limb. My admiration level of her increases, she had climbed the tree and was using the branches to move undetected!

I start to follow the unintentional trail she has left, fairly confident that no-one else would spot her error. I lope quietly in the direction she had gone, hearing the other boys shouting and fighting in the distance. Pan had said not to hurt her, he said nothing about taking out the competition, and I could tell some of the boys were taking full advantage of this loophole. At this point, I become aware of a set of footsteps falling softly in time with mine from behind me. I give no acknowledgement at all that I am aware of my companion; I just continue forward as before, listening carefully to try and pinpoint their exact location. I have a feeling I know who it is too. My brother knows his tracking skills aren't as good as mine and has probably decided just to follow me quietly until I discover the girl, then would try to either catch me unaware and knock me out or grab her before I can. I decide I will let him follow me and deal with him when I discover her, I have the edge on him anyway, I think smugly, now I know he's there. After following the trees I thought she might have jumped between for around 3 hours, I come across her footprints on the ground. She must have jumped from the tree here. Again, in her haste to get away she had left obvious signs of which direction she had gone, flattened grass, marks in the mud, broken bush branches. I break into a gentle jog as I follow. She must be flagging by now, she was a slight little thing, and she could no way keep up a fast pace much longer. She had gone in pretty much a straight line right through the woods, and I knew we were coming up to a small stream soon; she may still be there as she will have needed to stop for water. On arrival, I can see where in her rush to get to the water edge, she had slipped, and left hand prints on the stream bank. She was starting to get sloppy. I cover the tracks up with my foot, hiding it from any of the other boys who might come across it. I spin in a circle, looking for her next steps, but can't see anything. I walk to either side of the bank from her obscured slip marks, and still find no sign of her. It occurs to me then that she must have walked in the stream…..I wasn't giving her enough credit. Now I was at a loss, did she go up or down stream? My instincts say she had gone down, as it led away from the camp, whereas going upstream would mean going closer to where she had run from. I turn and walk alongside the stream, keeping my eyes peeled for signs of her departure from the water.

Around an hour later just as I'm starting to worry Ive gone the wrong way, I hit the jackpot. I come across more slippery footprints from where she had exited the stream into a small clearing, but no other indicators of which direction she had gone. This means to me she was somewhere in the immediate area. My brother is still skulking along behind me; I'd heard a branch snap under his foot around 5 minutes ago. I stop walking, close my eyes and listen hard. I stand there for over 10 minutes, and hear Rufio shift his weight from foot to foot once or twice, waiting. My eyes snap open as a very slight shuffling sound attracts my attention on my left. It must be her! Now I have identified where she was, I have to get rid of my shadow. I purposely walk in the opposite direction to the sound id caught, walk past the first tree then dive in behind it to wait. Within a few moments, my impatient cohort appears warily. I leap at him, silencing his noise of surprise by swinging my club round and hitting his temple, making him crumple to the ground. After checking to make sure he isn't seriously hurt; id made sure not to hit him with unnecessary force - just enough to stun him, I stealthily make my way through the trees to where I had heard her move. I pause by a huge chestnut tree with big, wide spread roots, dusted with leaves. Walking around the tree, I come upon an unusual pile of leaves in between 2 of the roots. Watching closely, I observe as the pile moves slowly up and down, in time with each breath she takes from under them. She was well hidden, but not well enough. I feel a smile creep on to my face, she's mine now.


	10. Chapter 9 - Fighting A Losing Battle

Cats P.O.V

Cats P.O.V

It felt like I had been running for days, not hours, yet I was still in this damn woods! I was convinced that I had continually moved away from the camp where the demon waited for one of his spawn to drag me back but I still couldn't understand why I hadn't come across a road or a house or any sign of civilisation. I finally realise after running down a small stream for a while that my body is close to collapse; soon I'll be physically unable to go on. I need to try and find somewhere to hide. Exiting the stream into a small clearing, I gather up fallen leaves, figuring I would use them as camouflage. After around 10 minutes of work, I am fairly impressed with my efforts; I had collected a massive pile of leaves and flung them all around a giant tree with roots bigger than my body, making sure to arrange them as naturally as possible. I then wriggle my way under a bigger pile, adjusting any gaps to make sure I am completely covered curled against one of the roots praying that would be enough to keep me hidden. I catch the occasional sounds of the boys crying out and crowing but none of them seem to get closer to me. It had been all quiet for just over an hour when I feel my eyelids droop, the chirping birds and babbling brook sounds lulling me into an exhausted slumber. I didn't know how long id slept when a cut off yell woke me. I freeze and press a hand over my mouth to muffle my breaths. Nothing follows this first sound so my locked up muscles start to relax again. All of a sudden a hand wraps round my ankle and I yelp in shock as I am hauled from my hiding place. I twist from my belly on to my back and come face to face with the grinning blonde, Felix I think his name was. I kick out wildly with my free leg, catching him full force in the gut. He doubles over winded, grunting in pain, releasing his grip on me and dropping the black club he carries with him.

I scramble to my feet and take off, adrenaline giving my knackered body the surge it needs to be able to move. I can hear his heavy footfalls behind me, catching up on me. I urge my legs faster, begging my body not to give in. Abruptly my face plants into the ground as im tackled from behind, his heavy weight landing hard on top of me and crushing me into the dirt. Pain explodes in my mouth as I realise Ive bitten the inside of my cheek, and taste blood. The air has been squeezed from my lungs making it impossible to scream. I hear him laugh lightly. ''Gotcha'' he whispers, his breath tickling my ear. I spit blood onto the ground and growl at him, trying with all my might to dislodge him from his position, but he is much heavier than me. I change tactics, going limp beneath him, trying to make him think im giving in. He shifts his weight slightly, feeling down my sides for my arms. I wait a moment then buck wildly, knocking him onto the ground beside me as I spring to my feet. Running was out of the question, he was clearly faster than me and I can barely stand so I position myself in a fighting stance, straight back, feet slightly apart. He slowly rises to his feet, looking me from head to toe and I tremble at the excitement I can see shining in his eyes, he is looking forward to this exchange! This makes me more determined and I grit my teeth, waiting for him to make a move. He feigns towards me and I jerk back, almost losing my balance, making him smile widely. ''You should just give up now, there is no way you can beat me'' he says confidently. My lip curls into a sneer as I snap at him ''Never gonna happen, Scarface, just let me leave quietly and you get to walk away.'' I was hoping against all odds that my bravado would be enough to get me out of this, I knew he would flatten me if it actually came to a physical confrontation but there was no way in hell I was going down without a fight. ''Game on'' he chuckles, slowly pulling out a long, sharp knife. After a pause, he jumps at me but misses as I hurl myself to the side and spin round with my fist cocked. I punch him in the jaw with all the strength I can muster and my fingers throb from the blow. He glares at me, rubbing his face and I feel like the pain in my fist was worth it, I could already see a red mark developing. I beam at him and taunt him, ''not feeling so cocky now, are we?''

At this, he snarls and lunges for me. I drop into a roll at his feet, knocking him over, and vault over him, attempting to kick the knife from his hand. He sweeps his arms out, hitting my legs and I land on my front with a small 'oof'. He immediately jumps on to my back, straddling me, and I flail around in an effort to escape. My struggles double as I feel something grow hard against base of my spine and realise he's getting turned on by my resistance. I try to heave the middle of my body upwards with all my might in an attempt to dislodge him, but I feel the sharp edge of the knife slide in front of my neck, ceasing my floundering actions instantly. I gasp in fear; shaking all over and can hear his heavy pants from behind me. His rough hand grabs mine and pulls it roughly behind my back, his knee holding it in place while he catches the other. Once he had them both there, he winds rope around them, binding them together. Once im secure he heaves me to my feet and presses my back into his chest, snaking his free arm round my waist, knife still held at my pulse point. ''I love a bit of spirit in a girl'' he murmurs, ''but it's even more exquisite when you realise the fight is over and you have lost.'' He bucks into me and I whimper as his cock grinds against my behind. He stills at the noise and suddenly pushes me away from him. ''Better get you back to camp before I get carried away'' he leers, poking me in the back with the knife to get me to walk. After only a few steps, my legs give way under me and I hit the dirt again. He sighs, puts the knife away and leans down to pick me up, throwing me over his shoulder. I give him a few feeble kicks but his hand smacks my ass hard, making me quit the attempt to hurt him. Ive lost, and as the realisation hits me, I sag in his hold and allow the tears to quietly run down my face.


	11. Chapter 10 - Lost Girl

Pans P.O.V

I'm playing the pipes for the younger boys half-heartedly while the game is taking place, trying to hide my disappointment that I wasn't out there chasing her. Considering my magic was directly connected to Neverland, it gave me a distinct unfair advantage over everyone else as I could pinpoint the location of anyone on the island and this would be cheating, so I was out for now...unless it came close to the 12 hour mark and no-one caught her. I scoff internally at the thought, the lost boys will catch her for sure, she's just a silly 17 year old girl who won't even acknowledge that she's in Neverland, and she won't stand a chance against them. They know every inch of the area like the back of their hands. At this moment, I can feel her essence in my consciousness; it's like a bright white pinprick of light on the dark map that is Neverland. The lost boys are all spread out across the island, moving fast, none as bright as her or close to the spot she stopped in moments ago, on the east side next to mermaid lagoon. If she continues on, I would have to pop over and divert her, she certainly wouldn't survive an encounter with any of the lagoons inhabitants, and if any of the boys are to follow her that would put them in danger too. I was actually in shock that she has lasted this long; it has already been over 4 hours since I sent the boys to look for her. I expected her to have been captured within the first hour. None of the other girls lasted this long. Not all of them ended up in this game, some were much more...open to my company when they got here. Her light dims a little and I concentrate on her for a moment, pipes going silent. She has stopped moving and fallen asleep. I could tell there were 2 lost boys closing in on her position. I focus harder and recognise the essence of Felix (unsurprisingly) and Rufio. Interesting, I wander if Felix knows his brother is following him. ''Pan, is everything OK?'' I snap back to myself at the comment and see the young boys all looking at me, scared. Most of them were fairly new to the island and still a little wary of me. I smile widely to reassure them. ''Of course, just thinking what tune to play next.'' I bring the magic pipes up to my lips and begin to play a tune that makes them all start dancing wildly round the fire, helping them forget home a little more, think a little more how fun it was here, how they never wanted to leave.

I have been entertaining the boys for another hour or so when I felt Felix and Rufio approach Caterina's sleeping form. I'd had to transport out of camp a few times by then to revive & collect a boy who'd been taken out of the game by one of the others and i wait for the time to go and recover Rufio, I have no doubt Felix would be winning this round with his brother. A few minutes later, I feel Rufio's consciousness fade away and Felix then moves closer to the girls hiding spot. Her brightness dazzled me as Felix wakes her, and I can sense she tries to run. I laugh at her stupidity. It takes a while before I feel both of them start to head back towards the camp direction; she must have put up quite a fight. Flashing out of camp with my magic, I appear at the spot where Rufio lies and shake him with my foot. He groans as he opens his eyes. ''What happened?'' ''You were bested by your brother, who is already on his way back to camp with my prize'' I announce. He rolls and stands slowly, disappointment evident on his features. ''He caught her? He knew I was there? He hit me?'' he questions incredulously. ''Looks like it'' I say cheerfully. ''Now make your way back to camp.'' I rise in the air and fly back, looking down as I pass over Felix and his captive, smiling as I notice her mouth opening & closing furiously, obviously insulting Felix every way she could think of. She was a spitfire this one, I doubt she will give in easily, which means when she eventually does, it would be delicious. I land in camp and grab my pipes, blowing loudly so the losers know it's all over and to head back. Most were already back and waiting for the triumphant party when we start to hear voices moving closer, her voice cursing and swearing Felix, his mother, his grandmother, insulting him in ways that would have shocked a pirate, making me laugh.

Felix has a pained look on his face as he marches into the camp with Caterina slung like game over his shoulder. He drops her to the ground by the fire and she struggles to a sitting position, her angry red face draining of colour as she meets my eyes, flinching when the boys start cheering. Felix does an elaborate bow behind her and straightens up grinning. ''Well done Felix, as soon as she's broken in, you can have you your prize'' I announce loudly. ''I'm looking forward to it'' he drawls, eyeing her lasciviously. I squash down the small feeling of annoyance that fizzles through me as he looks at her, surprised that I care. Caterina staggers to her feet, looking murderously angry and opens her mouth to retort back. Deciding I need to nip her attitude in the bud now; I walk over to her and grab the rope binding her hands together and give a harsh tug. ''Careful sweetheart, don't let that sharp tongue run away with your emotions, or I'll have to put it to better use'' I berate her. She sways on her feet, struggling to contain her rage, glowering at me with venom. ''I think it's time you returned to your tent, lost girl'' I mock. ''You can barely stand. But I don't need you standing to teach you what else your mouth is good for'' I ogle her, feeling my body react as the fire in her eyes turns to fear and the boys all whistle at my comments. She tenses and worried she might try to run, I throw her over my shoulder and stride to my tent, ignoring her hands and legs beating against me in a pitiful attempt to stop me. The boys all holler and catcall from behind me. ''Time to retire I think boys, to bed'' I call over my shoulder at them. She thrashes about weakly, expletives and threats spewing from her mouth. This is going to be fun; I think happily as I pull back the tent flap and let it fall closed behind us.


	12. Chapter 11 - The Cost of Losing

Cats P.O.V

He carries me on his shoulder like I weigh nothing, ignoring my fists pounding his back, throwing me on the bed. I scramble back till I hit the headboard. He stalks over and pulls my tied wrists towards him. Whining, I try to drag myself away but he just draws me closer. ''Please' I beg softly. ''Let me go home.'' He just laughs that awful laugh and looks at me, shifting his attention from my face to my lips then down my body. ''Now Caterina, why would I let you leave before we have had a chance to get to know each other. We can do this the easy way'' he pauses, steps back and lifts his shirt over his head, revealing a toned, muscled body which I force myself to look away from. He raises a brow at me, noticing my stolen glance. ''Or the hard way, but the easy way is much enjoyable for you.'' Smirking, he reaches out for me, grabbing my hands as I attempt to smack them away and pulls me to my feet into his arms, running his hands along my spine as I struggle weakly against him. ''Caterina'' he whispers seductively, ''give in to me, let me make you feel good, pet.'' I freeze as his hands stroke my sides gently, lowering his head to my neck, kissing a soft trail from my ear to my shoulder, raising goose bumps on my skin. I shove him hard in the chest, making him stagger, saying heatedly ''I'll never let you touch me and im not your 'pet', you don't own me.'' He springs at me so suddenly I don't even realise what has happened till I'm pinned to the bed with him looming over me. I shriek and twist wildly, trying to get him off me. ''When are you going to realise, dear Caterina, that you belong to me, there is no escape unless I allow it, and I always gets what I want, love'' he purrs into my ear. ''You should give in to me now, stop fighting me, I could make life here so much more pleasurable for you.'' Suffocated by his weight holding me down I try once more to buck him off, eliciting a growl from him. ''You want to know when I'll give in'' I spit. ''Never, I will never stop fighting you; I will never stop trying to get home!'' His eyes darken and he bares his teeth at me. ''As you wish, darling, I much prefer the hard way anyway…..''

At this he forces his lips onto mine. I clench my teeth together but he grips my waist hard, plunging his tongue into my mouth when I gasp. I immediately bite down and he yells, pulls away and lifts his hand. He slaps me hard once, then again, the sound ringing round the room. ''Bite me again, love, and I'll remove your teeth'' he growls, before ramming his bleeding tongue back into my mouth, the metallic taste of it turning my stomach. Wrenching back, his hands claw at my torn dirty clothes, ripping everything but my black lace bra and panties off easily despite my efforts to stop him. He moans out loud as his eyes roam all over my nearly naked form. ''You are gorgeous.'' He leans forward and nibbles my neck, shifting his body in between my legs, forcing my thighs apart. I pull savagely on his hair and he rears back, eyes gleaming with lust. ''Brutal, im impressed. You don't seem like the type that would like it rough'' he leers with a savage expression on his face. Tears leak down my face as I try begging once more. ''P...Peter, please d...don't do this'' I stutter, and as I speak his name for the first time, he pauses. Lowering my gaze, I whisper ''im a virgin.'' His grip on me tightens, and I raise my eyes back to his face. He stares at me in disbelief. A darkly amused look quickly replaces the skepticism. ''Well, this is a nice surprise, an innocent. It's been many years since I had a virgin. Maybe I should wait'' he contemplates. I exhale loudly in relief, only to have him sneer at me ''don't think you are off the hook darling, im only postponing the pleasure of relieving you of your virginity until you smell a little better.'' I frown at him as I realise he is referring to how sweaty and mud covered I am. ''But as im all worked up and you have given me and the boys a lot of cheek today, I'll just take your mouth for now.''

I don't even have a chance to process his words before I fly through the air and my knees roughly smack against the floor, he has swung me off the side of the bed. I try to wriggle back, but his firm grip on my bound wrists prevents that. I push up, attempting to stand, and his hand transfers to my shoulder, holding me in place. He reaches down and pulls his throbbing member out of his trousers and grips the back of my neck, forcing me forwards, pushing it against my closed lips. ''Come on now, the sooner you do this, the sooner you can rest'' he croons. I turn my head away. His grip tightens on my neck and I squawk in pain. ''Caterina, open your pretty little mouth and suck me off before I change my mind about taking you'' he hisses ruthlessly. More tears creep out of the corner of my eyes as his grasp moves my head back round and pushing hard, he forces his way past my lips. I choke as his dick thrusts down my throat and he lets out a loud groan. He transfers his hold from my neck to my hair, pulling hard to make me move back before thrusting his full length back in, making me gag around him. Ignoring this, he continues to move me back and forth along his length, progressively getting faster and faster and my jaw aches. He finally lets out a guttural cry and I feel warm liquid fill my gullet, tasting the bitter fluid on the back of my tongue. I make a desperate sound, struggling hard to tear away from him. ''Swallow'' he commands in a gravelly voice. I give him a pleading look, eyes glazed with moisture. ''NOW'' he barks, and I scrunch my eyes shut as I do as im told, hate burning my insides. He pops his cock out of my mouth as I slump at his feet, coughing and spluttering. I draw a shuddering breath before breaking into sobs. He lifts me onto the bed and wraps his arms round me, dragging me to him. ''No'' I sob as I try to pull away but he pinches me hard on the leg, no doubt leaving a bruise. ''None of that, Caterina, you are sleeping here with me.'' I stop wrestling against him and begin sniffling into the pillow. ''Ssssh, no more tears, get some rest'' he says soothingly, nuzzling his nose into my hair. I hear his soft snores long into the night as I lay awake, the red hot anger burning through me making it impossible to sleep.


	13. Chapter 12-If At First You Dont Succeed

Cats P.O.V

I slowly wake as I become aware of noises outside the room, footsteps and laughter intruding on my consciousness. I yawn widely, stretching my sore muscles out languidly, wandering why my alarm hasn't gone off yet. ''Mum, Dad, why didn't you wake me'' I groan loudly as I sit up and sleepily blink at my surroundings, looking towards my window to try and judge how late I am. I'm momentarily puzzled by the strange room, before awareness hits me, my mind trying to block the images form the night before. My eyes sting as more tears spring to them, surprising me that im still able to produce them, and bile rises in my throat. I whirl round to check if the monster is still here, but the bed is mercifully empty and someone has untied my hands at some point too. I climb out of bed, shivering as I realise im only in my underwear. Searching the room, I find my shorts down the side of the bed and pull them on immediately, scanning the floor for my top. Finding nothing, I grab a blanket from the bed and wrap it round me as I can't waste any more time. I need to get out of here, it's most definitely not safe for me here with Dr Jekyll. I shudder as I think of what else he may force me to do. Slipping on my converse which I found lying half under the bed, I creep over to the tent flap, listening intently. There are several voices out there, shouting and joking, so leaving this way is out of the question. I walk to the opposite side of the tent and kneel, reaching for the bottom of the tent, hauling it upwards with all my might. It tears away from the ground, pulling some wooden tent pegs out with it. Lying flat on the ground, I peer through the gap ive created to check where it leads and if anyone is out there. All I see is trees, and after waiting a minute to ensure the coast is clear, I wriggle out under the tent and half crouching run through the forest, being as quiet as possible.

My heart tries to beat out of my chest as I scurry farther away from the camp, and I repeat a prayer in my head over and over, pleading not to get caught. I stop and realise running blindly into the woods like I did last time is not a good idea, so I quickly unearth a large rock and walk over to a tree on my left, and at the base of the largest nearby tree, I score a small circle mark so if I double back on myself, at least I'll know. I must have inadvertently gone in circles last time, there was no other explanation as to why I'd never exited the woods, there was no large forests anywhere near my house. I continue to walk in a straight line, stopping every 10 minutes or so to mark a tree in the same fashion, hoping they weren't noticeable to anyone who may pass by. I try and tread lightly and avoid trampling though bushes and plants, glancing behind me to make sure you can't see a discernible trail. Satisfied with my efforts, I continue on this way for a few hours, slowly losing hope as these infernal trees just seem to go on and on! I eventually lose my temper and scream in frustration, kicking the nearest stump and as paid shoots through my foot; I fall to the ground, swearing loudly. I sit up and cross my legs, racking my brain for a new idea. Splashes catch my attention from up ahead, and I bolt to my feet and into a bush in a panic, thinking ive been caught. The noises continue, and I hear laughter, female laughter. I move from my hiding spot and inch closer to the sounds, spotting light ahead of me, the woods do have an end! I inhale sharply and rush towards the open ground. I stumble past the last line of trees, and stop, blinking into the dazzling sunshine. Regaining my vision, I look around and realise im by a giant lake which is staggered with rocks, and has a roaring waterfall, it's absolutely breath-taking. I stand there with my jaw hanging open, taking in the landscape. A movement captures my attention, but as I glance round there is nothing there. Unease prickles under my skin, there must be someone here, I heard laughter. I slink forward towards the water's edge warily, keeping my eyes open and swivelling my view all-round the lagoon. The second my toes touch the water line, a sound fills my ears, hauntingly beautiful singing makes my thoughts scramble and rush away from me.

A face suddenly pops out of the water around 10 feet in front of me. I jump, surprised, and turn to her, then find myself frozen in place. She is so gorgeous it almost hurts to look at her, with long onyx black hair and a heart shaped face so pale, it's almost translucent. She smiles at me, and I feel dazed. She lifts an arm out of the water and beckons to me. I sluggishly move my feet forward, mesmerised by her almost glowing amber eyes. Far off in the very back of my mind, I can feel a little alarm at my inability to control my actions but I still trudge mindlessly towards her, ignoring the water level rising over my hips, then my waist, not even pausing when it reaches my chest. The blanket I have wrapped round me is pulled away from me by her slim hands. ''One more step, pretty girl'' she whispers. My foot lifts slowly and I shiver, realising something isn't right but unable to stop. A huge splash behind me jolts me out of the stupor, and I shake my head to clear it. I look up at the woman, and scream in terror as I notice her forked tongue and needle sharp teeth. She hisses at me and swipes her hand, which has razor like nails, drawing blood from my shoulder as she leaves 4 long deep gouges there. ''Get away from her NOW'' a loud voice deafens me and a large hand wraps round my upper arm, jerking me away from the woman, who is licking her fingers clean of my blood as she slowly sinks back under the water. I stare in horror at where she has vanished as my saviour tows me back to shore. Collapsing when my feet hit the bank, I turn my eyes to him and am rendered speechless by disbelief as Felix glares angrily back at me.


	14. Chapter 13 - Unwilling Saviour

Felix P.O.V

I look down and groan at my soaked clothing. I pull my shirt over my head and wring it out between my hands, finding it difficult not to rip it to shreds in my rage. ''What the hell were you thinking, you stupid little girl'' I bark at her. She's still sat on the ground, looking up at me dumbfounded. I start to pace back and forth in front of her. ''Mermaids EAT human flesh, is that something you want, to have your skin slowly peeled from your bones? Running off by yourself when you don't know where you are is just idiotic, you have no idea what's out there waiting to prey on a sweet young thing like you, I should have left you to it, I put myself at risk to save your sorry ass, i...'' A sob cuts through my ranting. I look down at her to see her shaking, hand pressed to her mouth, eyes wide. She seems like she's going not shock. I stride over to her and place my hand on her shoulder. It's only now I notice that she is wearing just a bra and shorts, the tops of her breasts very visible from my position leaning over her. My mind clouds over & becomes hazy as she comes into sharp focus, I slide my hand to the side of her neck and pull the wet hair clinging to her body behind her and run my finger along trails the water sliding down her skin and dripping to the ground. It takes me a moment to notice some of the paths are red, and realise that she's bleeding. Shocked out of the trance her half-dressed state put me in, I drop to my knees beside her and twist her round to I see 4 long; deep scratches on her other shoulder. The mermaid must have swiped at her. ''We need to get these washed out'' I say brusquely. She doesn't even look at me, still just stares into space holding her mouth. ''Caterina, come on'' I try again, giving her a small shake. No response. I take my wet shirt and tear it in two, pressing one half over the oozing wounds and use the other half to mop up the blood smeared all over her. Once the marks are covered and the bleeding has slowed, I scoop her up bridal style and carry her to a nearby pool, crystal clear and mermaid free.

I wade straight in with her still in my arms, glad that this pond is over some sort of hot spot, and the water is quite warm, it will hopefully help with her shivering. I gently lower her to her feet. Rinsing the blood covered half of the shirt, I lift the other part off her wound and use the washed half to clean the scratches, wiping softly so I don't hurt her. I dip the rag back in the pool, shake out the stains and bring it back up to her hot skin, swiping over the nail marks. She winces and flicks her wet hair to the side, turning her head towards me to watch what I'm doing. With feather light touch I continue to brush the material over her. ''What was that thing'' she says so quietly I almost don't hear her. ''That was a mermaid.'' ''Impossible'' she bites out. ''They don't exist.'' I snort rudely at her determination to hang on to the belief that she's not in Neverland. ''Saying that wouldn't have stopped her from killing you if I hadn't walked by.'' Looking her over to check for more cuts, I see a small, intricate tiger tattoo on her other shoulder. Unable to stop myself, I reach out and trace the edges slowly with my finger, making her shudder slightly. Becoming aware of my actions, I drop my hand like she's burned me and turn my back to her to walk away, but her hand on my arm stills me. ''Whatever it was, thank you for helping me.'' I face her again, and she's looking at me with big shining eyes, which dart down to her nearly naked torso and back up to me, cheeks turning red. I realise she's embarrassed. She's glances at my bare chest and blushes even more. She's so innocent, it's alluring, and I want to touch her so badly. I laugh and take a step closer to her, pressing our bodies together, place my hands on her waist and ask ''just how grateful are you?''

She immediately steps back in disgust and turns away, only to spin back round, whipping me with her wet hair. ''For a moment there you almost had me fooled into thinking you are a nice guy'' she spits. ''What, no thank you kiss then?'' I taunt her, trying to cover my disappointment at her reaction. She raises her hand to slap me, but I catch her arm easily and haul her towards me. ''Easy there, 'tiger', remember how it ended last time you tried to take me on'' I warn her, gripping her fragile wrist hard. She can't help the small squeak of pain that escapes her and I automatically loosen my grip, surprising myself and she wrestles her arm free. She turns her azure blue eyes to me, they are almost shooting sparks she's so mad. She squares her shoulders and leans aggressively towards me. ''I will not be pushed around; you are just as bad as -.'' ''Felix, Caterina'' snaps Pan and we both jump, surprised. Im actually very unsettled, it's been a long time since anyone was able to sneak up on me, but my attention had been solely focused on the girl. Peter is standing on the bank watching us suspiciously. ''What are you doing?'' Caterina turns slowly to him, and fixes him with a look of pure loathing. ''Nothing, Pan'' I reply in a placating voice before she can speak. ''I had to save the little tiger here from a mermaid's thrall and was washing her injury. She's upset that I asked what reward I can have for my trouble.'' He surveys me with an indecipherable expression. My body had tensed at his arrival relaxes when he laughs. ''Well Felix, can't say I blame you, with her looking so...irresistible. But you will have your turn soon enough. For now you can go.'' I hear the threatening undertone to his voice, he's not happy with how he came upon me and his little toy so I decide now was a good time to scarper. "Well now you're safe and no longer in danger of bleeding out, I'll carry on with my hunt. See you, tiger'' I salute her and walk out if the pool. Pan nods and slaps me on the shoulder as I pass by. I jog into the woods, fighting hard with the inclination to look at her over my shoulder. That can't be good.


	15. Chapter 14 - Dr Jekyll

Peter's P.O.V

I stroll into my tent with some food for Caterina, ready to out on the Mr Nice Guy act, try and gain her trust. This will all be so much easier if she just submits to me. Pausing, I realise the tent is empty, she's gone. She must have tried to run again. I hurl the plate at the side of the tent and roar in rage. Stomping round the room, I see the back of the canvas has been pulled away from the ground. So that's how she escaped, she's smarter than I gave her credit for. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my anger before closing my eyes and focusing on her essence. I find her once again headed for mermaid lagoon. I decide to wait a few minutes before chasing her, let her meet one of the mermaids. Might help her come to terms with Neverland being real and if I wait long enough, I can swoop in and save her from the creatures clutches, hopefully changing her feelings about me. I storm out of the tent and yell at the first lost boy I see. "Devin, get in there and clean up the mess." The boy nervously darts past me. "Where's Felix?" I ask him before he slips into the tent. "Gone hunting." "Fine, Rufio, you're in charge" I yell across the camp before teleporting to the woods just outside of my destination. I sneak through the tree line and focus on her location again. I'm surprised to realise she's not alone, Felix is with her. I stride towards them and as I reach the steam pool we use for bathing, they are face to face with Felix's hands on her waist. Just as I feel jealousy rearing its ugly head, she pushes him and spins away before turning back and speaking angrily at him. I can't make out the words but I feel my jealous rage dissolving at the realisation they are fighting. As I reach the bank, I hear her spit "I will not be pushed around; you are just as bad as-."

"Felix, Caterina" I interrupt, knowing that sentence would end in badmouthing me. She turns to glare at me slowly. I'm astounded to see she's only in her bra and shorts and has some nasty looking cuts on her shoulder. So she had a run in with the mermaids after all and Felix got to play white knight. Once again, my anger level rises, simmering below the surface. As a few more comments pass between us, I can tell Felix senses my underlying temper and makes a sharp exit. I watch his retreat to see if he looks back at her, but he strides off without so much as a glance. Good. She's still frozen in the same position, staring at me with such hate in her eyes. I fix a look of concern on my face and walk over to her, ignoring the water soaking my clothes. "Are you OK?" I question, tentatively touching her injured shoulder. She twitches away from me, crossing her arms and grinding her teeth. "What do you care?" I yank her to me and hold her in place as I press my hand to her gouges, channeling my healing power. "What are you doing" she gasps as the area starts to heat under my magic. Drawing my hand away, she looks in shock at the now healed skin. Her eyes meet mine, filled with amazement. "What did you do" she whispers. I smile and reply "I healed you; I wasn't going to leave you suffering." She frowns, confused at my 'personality change' and looks down. "Maybe you should clean up while you're here" I say gently, not expecting the reaction this gets. She jerks her head up and shoves me. "Why, so you can have your fun with me later?" I recall my comments last night and mentally slap myself for the slip up. Trying to look sad, I say softly "no, love, because you're covered in blood. I'll wait in the clearing over there for you." I walk away into the trees and flash back to camp to grab her something to wear. After willing my clothes dry I transport back to the woods and sit in the middle of the grass to wait for her, wandering if she will try and run again. I smirk at the thought, thinking of how much fun it would be to punish her again.

To my disappointment, she steps out of the treeline around 20 minutes later, pausing 5 feet away from me and eyeing me warily. I stand slowly but she still skitters back. As hold the clothes out to her, she looks at them like Ive offered her a venomous spider. I chuckle quietly. ''It's just clean clothes, pet, not something deadly.'' She searches my face for signs of lying before extending a shaking hand towards the bundle. Snatching them from me, she turns and marches out of the clearing. 'You're welcome'' I shout after her. I wait a few moments before following her silently. She stops in a thick patch of trees, nervously checks around her before finally stripping off her shorts. I feel a twitch south of my navel at the sight of her standing there in just her underwear, and with a heroic effort I resist the impulse to throw her on to her back and have my way. She changes quickly, glancing round suspiciously the whole time, as if she can feel my eyes on her. As she pulls up the shorts I brought, I walk quietly back into the clearing and lie back onto the grass. She looks surprised to see me there when she returns, clutching her wet clothes. She glares down at me before asking ''so what now, are you going to let me leave or force me to play another sick game?''. I leap to my feet, startling her, and advance on her as she backs away. I can see the fear in her eyes as I reach for her. ''Don't touch me'' she warns me. Latching on to her forearm, I pull her to me and wrap one arm around her waist, ignoring her struggles. ''I thought I'd take you on a tour of my island'' I whisper into her ear before launching us both into the air, laughing as she screams and grips onto me for dear life, before looking at the rapidly disappearing ground in disbelief. Turning her gaze towards the direction we are flying, a huge smile appears on her face, followed by her giggles. I congratulate myself silently as the sound fills my ears, hoping this is the start of her hatred of me weakening.


	16. Chapter 15 - Crap, I'm In Neverland

Cats P.O.V

I let out an ear piercing shriek as my feet lift off the ground, throwing both arms round his neck and holding on tightly. As I look down I realise something impossible…..we're flying! A smile spreads over my face as I start to laugh in sheer disbelief, feeling the wind on my face and the weightless feeling of soaring through the air. Unable to stop the giggles from escaping, I release my death grip on him, open my arms wide, close my eyes and throw my head back. His hold around my middle loosens for a moment and I gasp, wrapping my arms back round him. I feel his breath on my cheek as he laughs. ''I'm not going to let you fall, pet, trust me.'' I snort derisively, looking at him with mocking eyes as I slacken my grip slightly to allow me to pull back from him as much as possible. ''Don't hold your breath for that, mate. On second thoughts, do.'' He just laughs at me again and goes faster. I gaze down at the rapidly passing ground, spotting the camp bustling with activity. Some of the boys see us as we sail over their heads, pointing and yelling greetings at Pan. A few of the younger boys even run after us, lagging behind as once again as I feel another increase in speed; my hair is now streaming out behind me, drying easily in the breeze. Lifting us higher again, I notice with growing bewilderment that I can see the edges of an island as the ground gets farther and farther away, trees covering most of the landscape. At this point, he starts pointing out different area's to me on the island as we pass over them, and I look in astonishment at each place, recognising the names from my childhood; Marooners Rock, Neverland Plains, Crocodile Creek, Skull Rock, Dark Hollow, they all blend into one as I struggle to comprehend the truth. ''This can't be real, I must be dreaming'' I whisper. I then feel a sharp, bruising pinch on my side. ''Ow, what are you doing'' I angrily question him. ''Just proving to you that you are awake'' he states. The meaning behind his words pierces my heart like a knife bursting a balloon, im really here, this is really happening. I'm really on Neverland.

He loops back the way we came to the camp, letting me absorb the shock of that the fairytale is real. As we touch back down to earth, he releases me and my legs, which seem to have developed the consistency of jelly, give way beneath me. Catching me before I fall, he lowers me to a seating position as I start to hyperventilate. ''Breathe, love, breathe'' he says softly, kneeling next to me and rubbing my back. It takes me around 10 minutes to recover enough to talk. I take a deep, shaky breath before stuttering out ''so…..so it's all…real then?'' He stands and looks down at me, with that infuriating smirk on his face again. ''Of course, I did tell you that when you first arrived.'' ''So if im really in….N..Neverland'' I stumble over the word. ''That would make you….'' I trail off, unable to continue. He crouches next to me, his expression darkly amused at my struggle. ''Go on, say it. Say my name'' he murmurs. I let out a half laugh half sob as I drop my gaze to the floor. He places one hand one my recently healed shoulder and uses the other to lift my chin so I can meet his eyes. They are dancing with malicious excitement. ''Who am I, Caterina.'' I shake my head; not wanting to admit it, fearing it will somehow give him power over me and try to twist out of his cool grip. His fingers dig into my skin as he draws my face back round to face his, eliciting a pained whimper from me. He leans closer to me, cupping my cheeks with both hands harshly, so close his lips brush mine as he hisses ''say it now.'' My lower lip quivers as I whisper to him. ''You are Peter Pan.''

He inhales sharply as the words escape me before closing the very short distance between us to press his lips onto mine. In my current state of mind, it takes me a few moments to register this, and he takes my lac k of response and complaint as permission to slide his tongue into my mouth. As awareness floods me, I let out a muffled noise of protest. His hands are still on either side of my face, holding me in place. I reach up and haul on his wrists, detaching him from me. ''What do you think you are doing'' I spit, lifting my leg and using it to force him farther away from me. He staggers back, confusion etched across his features. He moves closer to me again, running his knuckles down the side of my face. ''I thought we were sharing a moment, don't try and deny that you feel it too.'' I laugh before saying scathingly ''Just because Ive accepted the truth doesn't mean im accepting YOU. I never will, you disgust me.'' I shrink back as rage contorts his features and his hands shake. ''I'm not used to being denied what I want, love. I'm Peter Pan, I always get what I want'' he says acidly. I struggle to my feet, losing the tenuous grip on my temper. ''So the stories are true, you're nothing but a spoiled little boy who doesn't want to grow up and face reality. Well in real life we don't always get what we want, get over it'' I holler, slapping him hard. He growls, grabbing my bicep painfully and dragging me towards camp. ''I'm not putting up with your insolence any longer, let's see if you can cope with the punishment for your rash actions'' he roars as I trip along behind him helplessly. The boys all stand as he storms through the clearing. ''Felix, rope'' he barks as he throws me against a tree. I try and regain my feet, but he slams me back against the trunk, ignoring my yelp of pain as my head painfully thunks against the wood. As he pins me in place, I feel other hands grasping mine and pulling out to each side, tying them up with rope. My vision swims, black dots swirling round the edges as I feel him move away from me and declare to the boys ''She is to remain tied up here until im satisfied she is sorry for her actions. No-one is to acknowledge her until then. Anyone who does will risk my wrath.'' He spins to face me and grins manically as I slowly drift into the darkness.


	17. Chapter 16 - Worth The Risk

Felix P.O.V

I'm sitting skinning a rabbit by the fire when I first hear the raised voices. I look up in surprise as Pan drags Caterina through the camp towards the tree we use to tie up prisoners, or on occasion a lost boy who had annoyed Pan. ''Felix, rope'' he yells. I grab some which I had loped on my belt and walk over to him. Wincing as he smashes her against the trunk and her head bounces off the surface hard enough to render her half-conscious, I take her hands and tie them together at the back of the big oak. Her wrists still have marks from the last time she was bound, so without Pan noticing I slip a piece of material under each rope as I tie them. Coming back round to face Peter, I wander what she did to make him lose his temper. This morning, we discussed how he should be nice to her in order to gain her trust but that plan seemed to have already crashed and burned. As he shouts at us that she was to remain there till he decided otherwise & was to be ignored, I notice a reddening mark on his face. So she hit him. I marvel inwardly at her bravery/stupidity. The whole starve them of attention till they crack is a tactic he has used before, but never on the girls he brought here. None have resisted his advances this long. I glance at Caterina to see her hanging in her bonds, passed out. Once Pan has stalked off to his tent, I grab more rope and start tying it round her body to help hold her up, relieving the pressure on her arms. Once she seems more comfortable, I sit back down to finish preparing the meal she won't be allowed to eat, taking my frustration at the strange feelings she is evoking in me out on the poor dead rabbit.

24 hours later, we are sat round the campfire eating in typical lost boy's style, fighting over the best pieces of the pig, ripping parts off with bare hands and wiping stains onto our clothes. Pan isn't is his usual spot, he moved around the fire so that he is facing Caterina, giving her gloating looks as he eats and drinks his fill. Still tied to the tree, she tries to completely ignore us but can't help stealing longing looks at the feast. The younger boys all sit with their backs to her, unable to cope with the unintentional pleading look in her eyes but a few of the older boys sit close to her, making appreciative noises as they bite into the meat, laughing at her attempts to appear uninterested. Im surprised Pan is allowing this, he usually saves the cruellest torture methods for himself. The boys, mocking and jeering, creep ever closer to her, waving the food under her nose before snatching it back and cramming it into their mouths. She merely gives them a dismissive look before turning away, nose in the air, appearing supremely unaffected by their behaviour. If it wasn't for her trembling legs struggling to find the strength to hold her body up and the dark circles under her eyes I would buy her act. Not bad considering she hasn't had anything to eat or drink since she arrived. Im disgusted to see my brother is one of the tormentors, enjoying her helplessness. As I watch, Rufio approaches her with a large chunk of meat, leans his body on to hers and takes a big bite, chewing leisurely and staring her dead in the face. Her nose wrinkles in disgust at his closeness but she is powerless to escape him. I adjust sitting position restlessly, worried my brother may get himself in trouble with Pan for touching her, but Pan just looks on, smirking. After the last piece of food is swallowed, Rufio wipes his mouth and slides his hand down Caterina's side, whispering in her ear. Pan sits forward, his expression changing from amused to stone-faced. A distressed sound attracts my attention and I leap up in rage and fly towards the pair as I see my brother kiss Caterina, seeing Pan do the same from the corner of my eye. I get there first and grab Rufio by the back of his collar and fling him away from her.

There is a stunned silence and she stares at me with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. Turning to face the group, my mind works furiously for an explanation of my abnormal behavior. Pan stands just behind me, glaring with a thunderous expression. My brother lies on the ground to my left and improvising, I grip Rufio by the throat and force him to stand before yelling at him ''How DARE you touch what is Pan's. You should know better, apologise NOW.'' At this, I toss him at Pans feet. Peter's clouded face clears at my words and he smiles at me. Turning his attention to Rufio, he observes his sniveling, stuttering form for a moment before kicking him, hitting him in the face and knocking him out. He looks around the other boys, stating ''Felix is right; no-one is to touch what is mine. Thank you, Felix.'' I breathe a sigh of relief that my actions have worked, Pan thinks it's because of loyalty to him I acted that way. I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder. ''Apologies again for his actions, Pan. Now excuse me while I go bathe.'' I quickly exit the clearing into the dark woods. I return when everything is quiet and creep across to my tent. As I open the flap, I feel eyes on me. Spinning round, I meet Caterina's gaze across the fire. Something about the hopelessness in them draws me closer and I suddenly find myself standing in front of her. She turns her gaze to the tub of water they have left at her feet to taunt her. Without thinking, I lift it to her dry, cracked lips and she drinks greedily, almost choking in her haste to slake her thirst. I pull the tub away before she makes herself sick and take it to the stream that runs by camp to refill it. Once I have returned it to its original position, I straighten up and see her mouth moving. I lean in closer to try and catch what she is saying, only to be shocked when she whispers ''Thank you'' in a weak voice and kisses my cheek. ''You're welcome, Tiger'' I mumble, pulling back. She looks at me for a few moments before closing her eyes. I walk into my tent and collapse into bed, trying to push away all my thoughts, hoping she doesn't appear in my dreams. Ive already risked enough for her, but as I touch the spot where she kissed me, I can't help but feel it was worth it.


	18. Chapter 17 - Can You Hear A Heart Break?

Cats P.O.V

I wake in extreme pain, my muscles in agony after being in the same position for so long, my bladder is close to exploding and my stomach is cramping with lack of food. I give a pained groan. ''Had enough yet'' a voice nearby asks. I prise my eyes apart with effort, feeling sluggish and weak. I'm pretty sure without the water Felix surprisingly gave me last night, I wouldn't be waking up. Raising my head, im face to face with Pan. He stands very close to me with a tray filled with food and a tumbler of water. I struggle to swallow as saliva fills my mouth. ''You must be pretty hungry by now, not to mention your other 'needs' becoming unbearable'' he says smugly. I'm unable to formulate a response, focused solely on the tray he's waving about. Lifting my eyes to his, I whisper ''please.'' He smiles broadly and with his other hand produces a knife and cuts through the ropes holding me up. I crash to the ground. He lays the tray down before helping me stand and pulling me away. I make a whine of complaint as I look back at the meal. ''Don't worry, im just letting you relieve yourself before eating'' he laughs. Once we are in the woods beside the stream, he leans me against a tree and turns away. Desperation makes me do my business with him a few feet away and once im done; I right myself and stumble back to him. He twirls and catches me before I can collapse, sweeping me into his arms and carrying me back to camp. He sets me down next to the tray and I rip into the food like an animal, savoring each mouthful like it's my last. My stomach makes a strange gurgling sound as the first bites hit, but then settles enough for me to keep my meal down. After draining the water, I set the cup back down and look up at my observer.

He has watched me devour his offering in silence, which unnerves me, yet I can't stop my eyes from sliding closed, im still exhausted. As I fall back, I feel hands catch me and lay me gently onto the ground. I'm lifted a few moments later and something soft placed under me. I sigh as I snuggle into the warmth and drift off. I'm woken a while later by general sounds of merriment. As I stand from the sleeping bag I was placed in and stretch out my stiff body, I see the lost boys dancing wildly round the fire, as they do every night. Im still confused by this, as though Pan has pipes to his mouth, I don't hear anything, im not sure why they whirl and stamp when there is no music. Peter stops as he sees me standing behind the boys. ''Caterina, you're finally awake'' he crows. The boys all turn to me. I look for Felix's scarred face in the crowd, but don't see it. He pushes past them and stops in front of me. ''I hope you slept well, can I get you something to eat?'' he queries. I'm rooted to the spot, confused by his mood swings, I don't understand him at all. He gazes at me, awaiting my response. ''Uh, sure'' I stutter, wary of his intentions. He takes my hand and leads me over to a seat by the fire, hands me a plate of food and orders a boy to fetch me water. I study him intently, trying to figure out his game but he merely sits beside me and starts blowing his pipes again. As the boys start up their crazed dancing, I concentrate on eating. His voice in my ear shocks me out of my stupor. ''I'm sorry for losing my temper'' he says with a rueful smile. I keep my gaze fixed on my plate as I decide to chance what little luck I have. ''You could always make it up to me'' I say. He gives a throaty chuckle before sliding closer. ''And how would I do that'' he asks. I blink at him and know im going to regret this before I say it, but can't stop the words from coming out anyway. ''Let me go home, please.''

When the silence at my request becomes too much to bear, I continue on: ''I miss my family. I'll never give in to you because I love Nate, my boyfriend. He and my parents must be going out of their minds with worry, and Bex! My best friend, she'll be devastated, you can't keep me here, people miss me.'' He stands abruptly and walks over to the tub of water Felix let me drink from last night. Bringing it back to me, I flinch, expecting him to hurl its contents at me, but he returns to his seat. ''Shall we see how much they miss you?'' he questions, waving a hand over the water. I glance down to see the surface of the water looks like a mirror; I can see shapes in it. I grab the tub, pulling it onto my lap to look closer. I can see Nate & Bex in the water! They're sitting in his room, Bex's head on Nate's shoulder. I see her shaking, she's crying my name. Tears pool in my eyes. Nate rubs her back, saying ''we'll find her'' over & over, almost like a mantra. ''Oh, Nate, Bex, I love you'' I sob. At this point, Bex lifts her head, declaring in a shaky voice ''it's been 3 weeks with no sign since we found her phone, I don't understand what's happened, how she's just disappeared.'' 3 Weeks? It's only been 3 days, right? I focus on the water surface again as Nate slips off the bed to squat in front of her, grabbing her face in his hands and saying ''She hasn't disappeared, we will find her, we can't lose hope.'' They gaze at each other and to my horror, start to lean forward. Their lips meet, Nate stands and pulls Bex to him, she pulls his shirt over his head. ''No'' I murmur, watching in dismay as my best friend and my boyfriend betray me. As they fall back onto the bed together, pain overwhelms me and I throw the tub away from me with a scream. ''That wasn't real, it can't be'' I shriek at Pan. ''Ive been here 3 days, not 3 weeks, and they'd never do that to me.'' Pan takes my hand in his, speaking in hushed tones. ''I'm afraid it is real, time moves slower here love, you've been missing 3 weeks at home, they have given up on you already.'' I hear the sound of my heart breaking into little pieces as I stand and run into the woods, barely able to see through the tears.


	19. Chapter 18 - The Reappearance of Mr Hyde

Pan's P.O.V

I watch her disappear through the trees sobbing, unable to believe my luck. I had no idea that would happen at that particular moment, I knew they had been slowly getting used to her not being there, enjoying each others company without realising but it was pure chance that I caught them giving in to their growing need for solace. The boys all look at me, bemused; they hadn't seen what we had. ''Poor Caterina just realised she's not missed at home, same as all of your families they have forgotten her. She will soon realise she is better off here'' I announce. I start playing a jaunty tune for them, a happy, energetic tune to match my mood, deciding I'll leave her to cry herself out a bit before being her shoulder to lean on. She's already very confused by my up and down behavior, all I'd have to do now is play Mr Sensitive, im sure it wouldn't be long before she was seeking comfort from me. I've worked very hard to break her instead of just taking what I want, I'd never came across anyone as stubborn as her and it had been a fantastic game, but I was ready for her to just give up and surrender already. Games were no fun if I didn't win. I watched the boys whooping and stamping around the fire, and im in such a good mood at my success, I get up and join them, keeping up a good rhythm through my pipes. We continue this for a good hour before I can see my boys need a break, they are all panting and sweating and some of the youngsters have already dropped to the ground exhausted. I stop, advise the boys to go to bed and go to search for my Caterina.

Deciding to track for her instead of just zoning in on her with my senses, I follow her trail through the trees with ease, she hadn't bothered to try and hide her tracks in her haste to escape from what she saw. I hum lightly to myself as I close in on her. Stopping at the edge of the forest, I scan the Neverland plains; this is where her trail led me. I spot a dark shape moving on the top of a small hill in the centre of the plain and head towards it. The closer I get to her, the more I realise she isn't alone. I speed up, focusing my senses on her and once again, feel Felix near her. If it wasn't for his demonstration of loyalty yesterday after his brother took liberties which weren't his to take, I'd be worried; as this would be the second time I had caught them together. But I recall Felix wasn't at the feast when I released her, he must have come upon her by accident. I'm close enough now to hear their voices, and slow down to listen in on her conversation. I can see Caterina pacing back and forth in front of Felix, who is observing her with crossed arms. ''It can't have been real, he must be just trying another mind game on me'' she wails. ''Bex and Nate love me, Ive known them since I was 5 years old, they would never, NEVER do this to me.'' Felix steps towards her and puts his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place. ''I promise you, Tiger, what you saw must have been the truth, Pan doesn't lie. People do strange things when they are upset, it can push you to act in unusual ways'' he reassures her. I pause in the bushes, shocked, when she collapses into his arms crying. He stands stiff for a few moments before putting his arms round her. Very slowly she raises her head, lifting her face to his. He is frozen in place, as am I, as she presses a soft kiss onto him then pulls back tentatively, biting her lip. He stares at her in wander for a moment before hauling her back to him and kissing her hard. She winds her arms round his neck, eagerly kissing him back, making little gasping noises. My jaw drops. If she was so in love with this Nate person why the hell is she kissing Felix? Why is it not me? I should be the one she gives in to, not him. After observing this for a few stunned moments, a red mist descends over me, white hot anger shooting through my whole body. I roar in rage and burst out of the bushes towards them.

They both leap apart and look respectively aghast and guilty. I stalk over to face Felix, breathing heavily and shaking with fury. Felix stays perfectly still, only his clenched fists give away his feelings, he's scared, as he should be. ''Caterina, dear'' I hiss venomously at her, catching her flinch from the corner of my eye. ''Get back to camp NOW.'' She looks like she wants to argue, but I give her a black look and she takes a few steps back, gives Felix a frightened glance before turning tail and fleeing. After she is out of sight, I focus my attention back on my 'loyal' lost boy, my second in command. He drops to his knees, head lowered. ''Pan, im so sorry, it just happened, it won't happen again'' he begs. ''That's not true, now, is it Felix'' I say thoughtfully. ''No, I assure you, I won't touch her again, I swear'' he pleads, not catching on that I have a plan. ''You will actually, tonight, as im giving you your prize for catching her the first night she was here'' I sneer. ''I give up my prize'' he replies quietly, ''I can't…I won't hurt her.'' I laugh loudly and he looks up at me, confused. Eventually I manage to control my mirth. I put a hand on his shoulder and feel him tense up, expecting punishment. ''Actually, hurting her is exactly what you are going to do'' I hint in a hushed tone before slamming my hand into his chest. He cries out as I rip his heart out and grip it tightly in my hand. He falls on to all fours at my feet, wheezing and shaking, looking up at me wide eyed with fear. I give his heart a small squeeze, smiling as he emits another pained sound. ''Don't worry, Felix, im not going to kill you, but im afraid you will have no choice but to hurt her'' I gloat as I raise his heart up and begin to whisper to it.


	20. Chapter 19 - Punish 2 Birds with 1 Stone

**WARNING NON CON IN THIS CHAPTER, DO NOT READ IF OFFENDED**

Cats P.O.V

I collapse on top of a hill after running out of camp, weeping. My heart hurts; I can't believe that my friends would do this. He must be messing with me, trying to break me. I drop down, lying facing the sky to observe the stars. A while later, I hear footsteps approaching my position. Vaulting up, I wipe my eyes and face whoever is advancing on me. ''What are you doing'' Felix queries. ''Nothing'' I gulp, trying to hold back my hysterics. ''Yeah, looks like nothing'' he drawls sarcastically. ''What's happened.'' I tell him in halting sentences what Pan had shown me, pacing back and forth, finishing my story by declaring it can't be true. He stops my frantic movements with his hands on my shoulders, assuring me that Pan doesn't lie. I sag into his arms, tears flowing rapidly and press my face to his chest. He freezes for a few seconds then puts his arms round me. His scent invades my senses; it's overwhelmingly male and a little spicy. Looking up, I stare into his blue eyes. I don't know what comes over me but I kiss him and pull back, unsure of why I did that. He looks stunned but grabs me, kissing me passionately, tongue battling mine for dominance. I submit easily, pressing my body against his, feeling his taut muscles. An angry roar brings me back to reality and I spring away from Felix, guilt flooding me as I realise what Ive done. Pan stands glaring at Felix and shouts at me to leave. I want to defend my lapse in judgement and open my mouth to protest when he shoots me a look that terrifies me, I throw a look at Felix and run, not stopping until im in camp. I rush past the sleeping boys and stop by the tree I was recently tied to, as I have no idea where to go. I drop down against the trunk and try to rationalise what I just did. I'm not sure if I hope that Felix survives Pans anger or not.

I moving when wake, in someone's arms and kick out in a panic, relaxing as Felix mutters ''Ssh, it's me.'' He carries me into his tent and places me on his bed. I sit, scanning him for signs of bruising but he appears unscathed. ''Are you ok'' I question. ''Of course'' he smiles, but something about it doesn't feel right about the smile, it seems false empty. He approaches me and places his hands on my waist. ''I think we should pick up where we left off'' he purrs, burying his face in my hair. ''No, Felix, im sorry but I made a mistake before. I was hurt and upset over Nate.'' His hands slide down to cup my ass and he starts placing small kisses along my shoulder. ''Felix, stop, I don't want this'' I implore. I start to feel a frisson of alarm as he ignores me, continues to grope me and nips my neck causing me to squeal. ''Felix, don't, that hurt.'' I shove him but he doesn't move. Instead he presses forward, throwing me on to my back, leaping on to me and covering my body with his. He presses his groin into me and holding both my hands in one of his above my head. ''What are you doing, STOP'' I shout. He stares at me with a blank expression, hooded eyes looking through me before attacking my neck again, biting almost hard enough to draw blood. When I scream, he puts his hand over my mouth, muffling my cries. I bite him hard, hoping the pain might shock him back to his usual aloof self, but he doesn't seem to feel it. Releasing my hands, he reaches over to a small bedside table. I pull at his hand covering my mouth but he doesn't budge an inch. Turning back to me with what looks like bandages in his hand, he wraps one round my head and forces it into my mouth almost smothering me before grabbing both my hands again and twisting the second bandage around them. His strength is unbelievable, I thrash and buck and flail to no avail, he quickly has me bound and gagged. Once im incapacitated, he sits up and admires his handiwork. ''I must say, I think I like this look on you'' he smirks. The look on his face sends ice to my heart; it reminds me so much of Pan.

He stands; grabbing my hands and slamming them back on the bed as I try to wriggle away. Holding me in place he strips me of every stitch of clothing before removing his own. I turn away, unable to stop my blush, having never seen a naked man before. He gazes at my exposed body for a while, licking his lips and commenting ''God, you are gorgeous.'' I squirm frantically as he straddles me, running his hands down my arms to my breasts, fondling them, pinching my nipples then licking them till they're sore. Moving back up, his breath is harsh in my ear, his arousal pressing hard into my stomach. I start to cry in earnest as he adjusts his position, pressing against my core, grinding against me. Meeting his gaze, I desperately shake my head, trying to mumble through the gag at him to stop. He slips his hand in-between our bodies and rubs my clit, trying to get a response from me. He pushes one finger inside me and I scream into the gag at the burning pain in my lower region. ''Well that's not good, you're dry. This is gonna hurt more'' he pants. I close my eyes as he lines his hardness up at my entrance, rubbing some fluid which has leaked out of him over his full length. He waits a moment before slamming into me, tearing through my barrier. I wail piteously but the sound doesn't make it past the gag, doesn't block out his groan of pleasure. ''You are so hot and tight'' he breathes into my ear. ''Exactly as I imagined you would be.'' After pausing a moment for me to adjust to his large size, he begins to thrust, slowly to start and then more vigorously. I scream each time he forces his way back into my body, trying to block out what was happening and his throaty grunts and moans of pleasure, unfortunately the pain throbbing from my centre doesn't allow me an escape. I feel hot liquid running down my thighs and realise its blood. He begins to pick up speed, grunting and squeezing my breasts harder. As he reaches his peak, he shouts incoherent words and warm fluid burn my insides as he collapses on top of me. ''I hope Felix enjoyed his punishment, I gave him a great gift'' he laughs quietly as I lose consciousness.


	21. Chapter 20 - Give The Boy An Oscar

Cats P.O.V

Coming round the next day, I feel like the inside of my eyelids are made of sandpaper. I whimper as I wrench them open, experiencing the sore feeling that only comes after crying too much. As my sleep haze clears the night before comes to the forefront of my mind, flashes of pain, darkness, dead eyes and blood seem burned into my soul and once again, stinging tears fill my eyes. I stretch my arms and legs out tentatively, then try to raise myself up, wincing as agony flairs in my nether region. Gulping back my sobs, I slowly come to realise there's an arm slung over my waist, a warm body pressed against my back and I can hear deep, heavy breaths. He stayed with me all night? After what he did, the gentle way he's holding me is surprising. I also at some point through my unconsciousness have been dressed in a t-shirt and pants. I glance over my shoulder; my line of vision is filled with blonde hair. I allow the pulsing anger I felt at being completely helpless last night to fill me up and control my next actions. I drive my elbow into his stomach, feeling a grim sort of satisfaction at his sharp intake of breath and his arm immediately withdraws. I follow this up by twisting round, trying to ignore the agonising pain in my centre and shove him off the side of the bed with my foot in his crotch. As I hear the thud of his body hitting the ground and his grunt of pain, I get up, half crouching and holding my middle to try and quell the waves of torment radiating from my insides, stagger to the tent exit and throw myself through.

The camp, which was buzzing with activity before I landed, freezes as all heads turn towards me. As I lie there, I hear one of the boys shout ''someone get Pan, NOW.'' A few boys run off into the woods while some of the others gingerly approach me, lifting me and carrying me to the fire. I moan in distress, I don't want them touching me but im concentrating too hard on not throwing up to speak. ''Holy crap, she's bleeding, what has Felix done'' one whispers to another. They lay me quite close to the flames on top of a sleeping bag, wrapping me up in it in an attempt to stop the shivering. ''Do you want some water, some food, anything'' another questions me in a small voice. Before I can respond im distracted by Pan's arrival. He crashes through the treeline with two boys on his heels, looking round in a panic. Spotting me, he rushes to my side, ignoring my flinch at his nearness. ''Caterina, what's wrong?'' I speak into the quiet; I have everyone's full attention. ''You must be devastated, Pan. Felix beat you to it, he…he…'' I trail off, horrified by how weak and pathetic my voice sounds. ''No'' he whispers. He looks towards Felix's tent; the lost boys who surround us back away to reveal Felix standing at the entrance, looking over the scene with a detached expression. Pan growls lowly, getting louder as he disappears from his place beside me, reappearing in front of Felix, giving him a vicious punch to the face. Felix's head snaps back, blood flying from his nose. Pan continues to hit him, over and over, yet Felix makes no noise and remains standing throughout the beating. Finally, he falls to the ground, making no move to get back up. Pan lifts his foot to continue his assault, but unable to stand it anymore, Rufio tears from crowd to stand in front of his brother, palms facing forward in a submissive stance. ''Pan, stop, he's down. You'll kill him if you carry on.'' He crouches beside Felix's prone form, checking him over, wiping the blood away from his face.

Breathing heavily, Pan faces me, covered in dark red splatters. He moves back towards me slowly, like im a startled deer. ''I'm so sorry, I had no idea he would hurt you'' he says, looking at me with such sadness I could weep again. It's a flawless act, but I see something behind the sympathy, something about the gleam in his eyes creeps me out, keeps my guard up. ''Why are you sorry, you're just as bad. You're probably just mad he took my virginity instead of you'' I spit. A collective gasp comes from the boys, if there was any doubt about what Felix had done before, there was none now. Kneeling beside me, he lifts the sleeping bag away from my body, reaching down my trembling form. ''Don't touch me'' I warn, trying to stop him, but he holds my hand, lacing his fingers through mine and begs ''Trust me, im going to help you.'' I release him and lie rigidly as he delicately lays his hand over my middle. Once again, I feel heat emanating from his touch. This time, it seems to sink into my bones, eradicating the aching throb from my core. I sigh in relief and close my eyes as I relax from my unnaturally stiff pose. ''We need to get you cleaned up'' he muses, lifting me into his arms and standing, ignoring my squeal of surprise. ''Hold on to me tight, this might make you a bit dizzy'' he cautions me before the world melts together into a blur, reforming a moment later to show a different scene. Head spinning I loll my head back. ''What the hell was that'' I slur, struggling to get a clear picture of where I am. ''That was your first time magically teleporting, love'' he laughs, carrying me towards what I realise is the same pool Felix washed me in before. He splashes into the water, and as Felix did before him, gently lowers me into the warm pool. ''Do you need help or can you manage?'' he asks, shocking me. He's asking permission? ''I'll manage fine'' I reply, standing myself and moving away from him. ''I'll wait in the clearing, come find me when you are ready and call if you need….well anything'' he shrugs and walks out of the pool. ''Pan'' I call. He pauses and looks over his shoulder. ''Um, thanks'' I say awkwardly, unsure if this is his best act yet or if he is genuinely concerned. He nods at me and disappears. Once he is out of sight, I submerge myself under the water for a few moments. Breaking the surface, I find that once again im crying, and allow the sobs to wrack my body as I try to come to terms with what happened.


	22. Chapter 21 - Realisation

**Guys so sorry for the delay in updating, life went crazy! Thanks for your patience**

Felix's P.O.V

Pain attacks me as I regain consciousness. I hear a worried voice calling my name repeatedly and I open my eyes to find Rufio filling my vision. ''I'm alive'' I croak in amazement and relief. I thought Pan was going to crush my heart. I sit up slowly, wandering why I hurt so much. ''Rufio, what's wrong with my face'' I lisp, tasting the metallic tang of blood on my lip. ''Pan, he beat you. It's…its bad'' he says quietly. I stagger to my feet, almost falling backwards but Rufio catches me, throws my arm over his shoulder and heaves me into my tent. My head is pounding; my face feels swollen and tight and my ribs hurt. It takes a few moments after he has lay me down on my bed that I realise I shouldn't be here, Pan knocked me out at the clearing on Neverland Plains. ''Rufio, how did I get back to camp, where's Caterina?'' I question. He steps up next to me with a bowl of water and a cloth, looking confused. ''What do you mean'' he asks quietly, dampening the cloth in the water and wiping my face with it. Im shocked when it comes away from my skin stained dark red with blood. ''I…I don't understand, why am I bleeding?'' Rufio takes a deep breath before explaining. ''Pan beat you for playing with his toy'' he said grimly. ''That's a bit extreme, it was only a kiss'' I grumble. Rufio pauses, looking down at me with his mouth hanging open. ''Felix, it wasn't just a kiss, you can't pretend otherwise, we all saw her'' he snaps at me, pressing harshly down on a wound above my eye, making me cry out. I shove his hand away harshly before asking ''what the hell are you talking about?'' He studies me for a few moments before realisation crosses his features. ''You really don't know, do you?'' I sigh in exasperation. ''No, brother, I don't, tell me what's going on.'' He stands and paces away from me before turning back.

''You forced Caterina'' he says baldly. ''Rufio, I didn't force her, SHE kissed ME.'' He strides over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. ''No, Felix, I mean you forced her to have sex with you.'' I stare at him, aghast. ''No…..no, I didn't. She kissed me, that was it. Then Pan turned up and sent her away.'' The look in my brother's eyes scared me; it was a mixture of confusion, worry and worst of all, pity. ''No, you're still not understanding. Something must have happened afterwards as this morning, she staggered out of your tent wearing your clothes and bleeding from…well you know'' he whispers. My head hurts from trying to dredge up memories of the night prior, but I remember nothing after seeing Pan squeeze my heart. ''It's not possible'' I croak. ''I wouldn't have hurt her, Im starting to like her.'' Rufio steps away from me and looking down the bed, points at something. I follow his instructions and see a dark stain on the bed. Sliding closer, I realise its dried blood, and quite a lot of it. I stare at the mark for what feels like an eternity, my mind working furiously to try and figure out what has happened to me. Pan must have done something, knocked me out and disguised himself as me or something similar. My brain automatically rejected that idea, it was too ridiculous, Pan would have no qualms about taking her as himself. But somehow, someone hurt Caterina and has made everyone think it was me. She must hate me right now. I feel strangely empty at the thought, hollowed out. I grab my brother's hand and face him; I have to make him see the truth. ''Rufio, it wasn't me, something else must have happened, someone must have pretended to be me'' I implore him. He shrugs me off, looking at me with genuine worry now shining through. ''It was definitely you, you came out of the tent after her, you were attacked by Pan, there is no other explanation.'' I sag onto my knees on the bed, the void in my chest seems to grow larger as I realise he must be right. I have to see her, she will know the truth.

I stagger up and out of the tent, Rufio calling after me to come back. I drag myself through the camp to Pan's tent and dive inside to find it empty. I about turn and grab the first boy I see, barking at him ''where's Pan?'' He looks at me, terrified and stutters ''he's at the bathing pool with Caterina.'' I release him and tear out of camp towards them. As I charge into the clearing, I draw to an immediate halt as I realise Pan is sitting there, gazing at me expectantly. ''Hello, Felix'' he drawls. ''Pan'' I say brusquely. ''Where is Caterina?'' He smirks at me as he leaps to his feet. ''Well, that's no longer any of your concern now, is it. Ive impressed even myself this time, I gave you your prize and I rid her of any feelings she may have had for you'' he beams. ''I don't understand'' I grit out; trying to quell my temper, knowing it wouldn't help me. ''Shall we enlighten you'' he says, walking up to me with his hands behind his back. I flinch reflexively, expecting pain, and he doesn't disappoint, whipping his hand round and thrusting it into my chest cavity. I gasp but before I can make any move to stop him, he releases me and steps back, observing me. The hollow feeling I had earlier is gone, my heartbeat fills my ears. I suddenly flash back to the last time Pan did that, and recall him standing with my heart in his hand, whispering things I couldn't hear to it. I remember getting up, walking back to camp, spying Caterina slumped on the ground asleep, gathering her up and taking her into my tent. I recall her protests as I kiss her, pushing me away. I then watch in horror as my mind shows me ignoring her refusals, pinning her down and taking her, thrusting callously into her until I come, ignoring the fact she isn't fully conscious at the end. I then lie back, pulling her prone form to mine as I fall asleep. ''No'' I whisper. ''Yes'' Pan hisses, eyes burning with triumph. ''You did this, Felix, and you will now stay away from MY pet until I say otherwise. Ive been surprisingly tolerant considering you touched what wasn't yours. And Felix, if you try to tell her about this, I will crush her heart while you watch.'' He swaggers away, leaving me standing in the clearing alone to face up to my actions.


	23. Chapter 22 - The Plan

Pan's P.O.V

I stride away from Felix, immensely pleased with myself and the cleverness of my plan. It played out perfectly! As I reach the treeline, I hear quiet sobs coming from the pool. Creeping slowly forward I see her with her hands over her face, struggling to hold it together, crying wretchedly. I feel no guilt over her despair, in her mind it wasn't me that caused this pain, it was Felix, so technically I was blameless. I walk over to the water's edge before calling her name gently. She whirls to face me, horrified, relaxing only a small amount when she sees me. ''What do you want'' she says tremblingly, chin held high despite the shaking. ''Caterina, im so sorry this happened to you. Please love, let me help you.'' I move slowly towards her, quashing my anger as she jerks back from my approach. ''You are no better than he is, you forced me to…..to….'' she stumbles over the words as she tries to describe the other night. Just thinking about how I came in her mouth is making me hard again and diverting my attention from the task at hand. I shake my head to clear it of images of her on her knees, trying to pass the action of as regretful, biting my lip and looking mournfully at her. ''I know, I let myself lose control and be ruled by my hormones, you have no idea how sorry I am.'' I stop a few feet from her, looking away as if I can't bear to face her penetrating gaze. ''If I could take it back…'' I whisper, trailing off before the end of the sentence, allowing my eyes to moisten, taking deep breaths. Man, I forget how good I am at this! I look up; she's staring at me with a shocked expression on her face. ''Are you crying'' she demands incredulously. I turn my back on her, making my shoulders sag and deepen my voice. ''What? Of course not, im fine.'' The seconds tick by as I wait for her to respond, and I start to worry that she can see through my act. Just as im about to turn back and face her scorn, I feel her warm hand rest lightly on my shoulder.

I wipe the triumphant smirk off my face as she slowly turns me to face her. I avoid her eyes, keeping my gaze on the water. ''Peter.'' I raise my gaze to her and squeeze a tear out, allowing it to trickle down my face and off my chin as she struggles to articulate her feelings. 'I can't tell if you are being genuine, you switch from bastard mode to Mr nice guy at the drop of a hat...you forced me to do something I didn't want to, but then you healed me twice...and I….I'' she cuts off as another sob overwhelms her. It's not what I want to hear, she's still suspicious of me, but it's a start. I open my arms out, but don't touch her, waiting. She looks at me but doesn't move so I tentatively pull her towards me. She almost pulls away but changes her mind at the last minute throws herself into my arms, a weeping mess. I making soothing noises and stroke her back, trying to calm her distress. I see Felix watching us through the trees and give him a megawatt smile, running my hand through her hair as I say ''don't worry, love, I won't let Felix or anyone else hurt you again.'' I try and hold in my triumph as he melts away, the blank expression on his face crumbling, allowing the pain to show. I allow her to cry herself out, waiting patiently as her loud wails fade to sniffles before pulling her away from me but keeping my hands on her shoulders. Gazing into the breath-taking blue of her eyes, I find myself unconsciously leaning forward in an attempt to kiss her. I feel her breath on my lips as she inhales sharply, her eyes widening in alarm. Just as im about to touch my lips onto hers, SLAP! She lands an open palmed hit right across my face, snapping my neck to the side. I slowly turn back to face her, breathing heavily through my nose as I feel boiling rage rising in me, begging me to let it take control and lash out at the insolent girl in front of me. My fingers dig into her shoulders and I hear her squeak out a protest. The look of fear she gives me helps me to regain myself and stop the burning anger from overrunning. I take a few deep, long breaths before stepping back, releasing the hard grip I had on her and I teleport out of there before I lose my temper and spoil all of my hard work.

I don't even know where I reappear, im blinded by fury. How dare she hit me! I am Peter Pan, and I always get what I want! Why is she still resisting me, none of the other girls were as willful as this one. They all either fell at my feet when they first saw me, and only took the slightest of nudging to give in, or once I had them hunted by the boys came to the realisation that things would be easier for them if they just capitulated to my needs. This one was holding against all of my methods of breaking her, the hunt, forcing her, starving her, charming her, none of it worked. Granted, I hadn't properly tried to charm her yet but she was just so infuriating! I never managed to keep my temper around her. Leaving right then instead of teaching her where her place here was is probably one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. She had turned my trusted second in command against me; she still denied me what I want yet had the gall to treat me like the bad guy. I know to start with she didn't want me as she thought she was in love with that fool from her world, but now he was out of the picture she should fall easier for my seductions. This made me pause in my musings; maybe she was just the type who had to think she was in love before giving in. Which would mean all I had to do to win was make her believe I loved her! I could feel a plan beginning to form, deciding to make a game of it. How quick could I make her fall for me. I could feel the anger receding as a sense of purpose filled me. I knew I wasn't capable of love, I mean I gave up my own son to be young forever, but she wasn't aware of that. A grim smile lit my face as I started plotting how to win her heart. Maybe I would even keep it as a trophy after I sent her home.


	24. Chapter 23 - Desperate Meausres

Felix P.O.V

I back away from the waterfall pool, watching as Pan holds Caterina, her heartrending sobs tearing at my chest, I feel like Pan still has my heart in is hand and is slowly squeezing. I struggle to breathe through the pain enveloping me, my vision blurred and I'm shocked to realise I have tears forming. I hadn't cried in many, many years, I couldn't even remember the last time it had happened. All of this was mixed up with a feeling of revulsion at what 'I' had done, how I had hurt her, ignored her protests, pinned her down and used her. A sick feeling gathered in my stomach, churning up my insides and creeping up my throat as the memories of last night ran on repeat through my mind. Lurching to the side and landing on my knees, I throw up repeatedly until there was nothing left. Once the dry heaving stopped, I sit on my heels and wipe my mouth, shaking. How has a small girl managed to stir all these feelings in me and after so short a time? I don't understand, I had beaten lost boys till they were black and blue at Pans command and felt nothing; I had killed pirates and Indians without an ounce of remorse. I wasn't condoning what Pan had done to her, I knew it wasn't my fault yet still I feel like I could hurl again thinking about how she must be feeling. I had betrayed my leader, the boy who saved my life by bringing me here to be young and play forever for her, the only time I had ever done that before was for my brother. She was nobody yet I had risked my life for her. It suddenly hit me, she must be a witch and had put me under a spell; there is no other explanation for my unusual behavior since she arrived! So all I need to do was figure out how to get her bewitchment off me and I would stop feeling so wretched!

Im risking angering Pan again with what I am about to do, he doesn't like unrequested visitors to Neverland, but I have to break Caterina's spell. Im at the farthest away point on the island from camp hoping the man I'm about to invoke will remember to hide his essence from Pan, which I know he's capable of. I take a deep calming breath before calling ''Rumpelstiltskin.'' I wait for a few moments then sense a presence behind me. Spinning round im face to face with the dark one, a glittery, lizard eyed creature with immense power. Someone you really don't want to deal with as his help has a cost you might not want to pay. A high pitched giggle sends chills through me. ''Felix. Not who I expected. What bidding does your fearless leader require of me'' he sneers. ''Dark one. Pan doesn't know you are here, it is I who needs your help.'' His amused expression quickly changes to a cold, calculating look. It strikes me how similar this is to one Pan regularly wears. ''Now this is an interesting turn of events. Well then, Dearie, let's see if we can strike a deal. What are you after?'' I watch him warily, wandering what price I will have to pay for his assistance. ''Ive been cursed by a witch and need it lifted.'' He circles me, eyeing me with interest. ''Really. And how has this happened, there are no witches on Neverland last time I checked'' he inquires. ''Pan brought a girl to the island, and she's done something to me.'' He pauses, surprise showing on his face. 'A girl? Now what would Pan want with a girl'' he muses. ''That's none of your business'' I say sharply. I'm not giving away Pans secrets, I just need this enchantment lifted. Another titter unnerves me. ''Very well, boy, but magic always comes with a price.'' I stiffen, before asking the dreaded question – ''what do you want.'' He seems thoughtful but the glittering in his eyes give away that he's just delaying to trifle with me. I fix a bored look on my face, trying to seem like his silence doesn't worry me. ''I'll remove your enchantment if you tell me why Pan has marked your pretty face'' he finally discloses.

Im surprised he requires so little and immediately suspicious why this is all he wants. ''Why'' I bark. He smirks before repeating my own words back to me ''that's none of your business, Dearie, that's the price for my assistance.'' I struggle to think of any possible scenario where he could use this information against Pan, but come up with none. ''Fine, Pan caught me kissing the girl and as punishment took my heart out, forced me to…hurt her'' I trip over these words. ''And when she revealed what had happened to the boys, he beat me for hurting her.'' I try and remain stoic throughout my explanation, but im sure a little of the turmoil inside me leaked onto my face. I jump when once again a high pitched cackle escapes him. ''Wonderful, boy. Payment received, now for your curse.'' He sniffs the air around me before waving his hands in a complicated pattern. I feel static energy crackling around me and the hair on my arms stands on end. This continues for several uncomfortable moments before his hands drop and a huge, evil grin splits his leathery face. ''Is that it, are you done?'' I question. ''There was nothing for me to do, boy, you have no curse, no trace of magic on you, above the normal magic of Neverland'' he declares gleefully. I stare at him in disbelief. ''That's not true, we had a deal, dark one, now hold up your end, remove this spell from me'' I growl. He just continues to grin manically at me. I stalk towards him, grabbing him round the neck. ''Fix me'' I holler into his face. His eyes bulge out for a moment before burning pain sears the hand I have on his throat. I scream, releasing him and glaring angrily. ''Never accuse me of failing to deliver, I always honor my deals. You, Dearie, have received what you wanted. No enchantments exist on you so there is nothing to remove'' he jeers, laughing before vanishing from sight. The realisation of his words slowly permeates my brain, I haven't been enchanted, so what's wrong to me?


	25. Chapter 24 - Introduction

Cats POV

I stand in the middle of the warm pool shaking, unable to believe that he just disappeared and didn't react when I hit him. He certainly had no issue using his fists on me before. I wait with baited breath for a few moments just to be sure he is actually gone and hadn't just magicked away to get rope or something else to hurt me with. When nothing else happens, I relax, enjoying the peace and being away from that horrific camp and just being on my own without anyone chasing me or watching me. I start to wash away the blood and other substances which stained my clothes and body, wincing at the sight of many angry bruises on my arms and legs. I was still hoping in the very far corner of my mind that I would wake up soon at home in bed to find this all was a horrific if not imaginative dream. I could almost hear mum chiding me for being late as usual, dads laugh at my inability to be on time for anything, Bex honking her horn impatiently outside, Nate leaning against the usual tree to wait for me…and that train of thought jolts me back to reality, the pain shooting through my heart when I think of Bex. And Nate. And how they are not missing me at all. I wander if this has happened before and they just didn't tell me I think bitterly. They are going to be so sorry when I get back, im never going to speak to either of them again! I'm going to wait for them to come to me all happy that im back and completely blank them. At least they will have each other to turn to. If I get back, that is. I was coming to the realisation I really wouldn't be able to leave by myself. I needed help. I just need to figure out who and how.

I stew over this idea as I bathe, trying to formulate a plan on how to get off this island, who I could possibly befriend to be my spy on Pan, who knew more about the island than me. After a quick look round, I yank off my top and rinse the blood and sweat out of it before hurriedly pulling it back over myself. I didn't trust Pan to not reappear or be spying on me. I suddenly realised the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, and I have that prickly feeling you get when someone is watching you. The last time I experienced this; a shadow attached me and took me here. My first thought is that its Pan, he's back to punish me for slapping him. I freeze, panic holding me in place as I slowly looking all around the edge of the pool into the trees, trying to spot any movement. I decide to just bite the bullet and shout out 'Hello? Who's there?'' Scanning the treeline twice, I draw a blank. Yet I still can't shake the feeling that someone is hidden in the trees, watching me. ''This isn't funny, show yourself you perv'' I demand. After a minute or two and still nothing, I continue washing, glancing up every few seconds to make sure no-one was trying to sneak up on me. A snap to the right makes me jump, heart racing. Anger floods me as im suddenly sick of being scared. I charge out of the pool towards the noise, dripping wet and furiously angry, storming towards whoever thinks they can bully me. ''Come on, then, coward, come out and face me'' I screech, running into the forest, whipping my head round to catch them, ignoring my wet hair slapping my skin. My anger seeps away, replaced by dread as a creepy; falsetto laugh comes out of the gloom. It echoed all around me so I couldn't tell where it has originally came from and my heart leaps into my mouth. I take a few tentative steps back out of the woods. When nothing springs out at me, I whirl round, ready to run and gasp in horror at the hideous creature facing me, letting out a scream as I fall backwards in my haste to not run into this beast.

Before me stands what looks like a man dressed in medieval leather clothes. His face is a weird greenish gold colour that seems to sparkle as he twists his head to the side, looking at me sitting on the ground. His eyes are really freaky, they seem completely black, like a snakes or something. They also have a dark look in them. He's baring his teeth at me in what I can only assume is a mockery of a smile, reminding me more of a crocodile than a person. He holds a hand out to help me up but I shy away from it, the same glittery green gold skin glinting at me with long, sharp fingernails to cap it off. I scramble away from hi and to my feet, unable to look away from his glittery lizard like face. ''No need to be so scared, dearie'' he scoffs. He sounds like a normal guy, but definitely doesn't look like one. ''What do you want'' I question. He laughs again, sending shivers through me. ''I just wanted to meet you and find out your name, simple enough, it won't hurt you. The questions is what do you want'' he asks slyly, black eyes focused on mine with an intensity that scares the crap out of me. It's like he knows some secret that im not in on, and I hate it. He makes me feel very nervous and jittery, like I might say the wrong thing and he'll pounce. His interest in me is strange considering he doesn't know me. ''Cat got your tongue'' he asks me sarcastically. I blink stupidly at him, no idea what he expects me to say. He creeps a little closer and I skitter back as he giggles again. ''Ive already said im not hear to cause you any harm, Dear. I'm not like the demon that rules this island.'' I snort and he pauses in his approach, tilting his head from side to side, observing me. ''So how about your name then'' he cajoles. ''Who are you, and why do you want my name'' I stammer nervously. ''How rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Rumpelstiltskin, at your service'' he draws out the r in his name he bows extravagantly. ''And you are…..?''. ''Caterina'' I state, nervously taking his offered, scaly hand.


	26. Chapter 25 - Reunion

Pans POV

I fly back to camp, thinking how I can make Caterina willingly love me. It really shouldn't be difficult, all the boys on this island would give their lives for mine, so how much harder would it be to make her feelings towards me change. What would complicate things is that the lost boys were just that, lost, before they came to me. Unwanted, unloved, abused. Caterina has loving parents and friends, even if she didn't think that right now, so breaking the bonds that connect her to her land would be a challenge but nothing I can't handle. I land in a busy camp, boys scuttling about making meals and a few others clearing out the burned out fire. The rest are lolling around doing nothing, which angers me. ''What's going on'' I shout, making most of them jump in fear. ''Why are you not training.'' ''Felix isn't here, he hasn't been all morning'' Rufio informs me. I'm surprised, I thought he would know better after our lesson this morning than to cross me, abandoning his duties. ''Very well. I'll go and track Felix down. Rufio, you take over for now'' I bark. Just as im about to sense his presence, the sound of heavy footfalls reaches my ears and Felix comes striding into the clearing looking angry. ''Felix'' I bellow, pleased internally as he flinches at my voice. ''Pan'' he drawls. ''How can I help.'' I stalk over to him slowly, the boys standing around where he is edge away and try and melt into the background. ''Where. Have. You. Been'' I spit. ''You have duties to attend to here in camp which have been neglected, haven't you had punishment enough lately for disobeying my order?'' He drops to his knees, head lowered. ''I'm sorry Peter. I don't know what's came over me lately, but I am, as always, your faithful servant.'' His sombre words are heavy with truth; he really means what he is saying. He looks up at me then, and I see a hint of the old Felix, my friend, confidante and second in command there. It fills me with joy and I crouch down, resting a hand on his shoulder.

''Forgiven'' I say quietly to him before shoving him over and laughing at the shock on his face. ''Now get started on training these louts.'' I extend my arm to help him up, and when he grasps it and gets to his feet, I pull him into a man hug, slapping his back as I release him. It feels good to have Felix back on my side. Glad he realised where his loyalties lie. I stand and watch them all head to the clearing where we hold training with a sense of satisfaction. Everything seems to be falling back into place, now I can focus on bringing Caterina to heel and life will be good. Speaking of, I zone in on her presence to check whet she is up to and find her standing just off to the pool where I left her. I should really go and get her and check she is OK. I freeze as I feel her presence disappear off my internal map, snuffed out immediately. There are only 3 reasons someone disappears like that, death, magic or they have left the island. It can't be option 3, as I would have felt her move to the edges of Neverland, which means she either dead or cloaked by magic. I appear in the last spot I felt her essence, whirling round in a panic, looking around me for her, in all honesty expecting to see her prone form lying dead, or one of Neverlands beasts running away with her body. A high pitched giggle attracts my attention to my right and I realise why she disappeared from my consciousness. She's not dead. But she is with a beast, just not one from Neverland. My eyes close temporarily as relief floods through me, which scares me, why am I so relieved she's not dead? I tell myself it's because I haven't finished my game with her yet. Opening my eyes I face the creature who currently has Caterina in his claws. Or a grip on her hand at least. Anger rises in me at the sight but I quickly stamp it out, showing any sort of emotion in front of this…thing is weakness. He tilts his head to one side, observing me as he holds Caterina's hand.

''Hello, Laddie'' I give him a condescending look. ''What are you doing here?'' He grins at me before turning back to Caterina, who is attempting to subtly pull her hand away from him. He stares at her for a few beats and she watches him apprehensively. His eyes suddenly widen and he leans towards her. The panic in her expression almost has me reaching to help when Rumple suddenly gives a surprised yelp and drops her hand. ''Interesting. Just dropped in by for a…reunion'' he pauses to give another chortle ''and bumped into your little friend here. She was just introducing herself.'' I step towards them and feel a little pleased as Cat unconsciously slinks a little closer to me, away from Rumpelstiltskin. ''Caterina, would you wait in the clearing back there for me while I deal with this?'' To my surprise, she steps away from us without question, leaving me alone with the Dark One. ''Now she's out of the way,'' I try to sound dismissive so he won't think I place any importance on her, ''do you want to tell me the real reason you are intruding on my island uninvited? Surely you know better than that by now.'' I stare at him, putting as much menace as I can into the look. He gazes at the spot where Caterina vanished to before meeting my eyes and bowing. ''Apologies. I stumbled across here quite by accident. But it has been…..very illuminating'' he sniggers and as he waves before disappearing, I notice a red burn on the palm of his hand. His parting comment confuses me, illuminating? Worry momentarily pulsed through me, wandering what he had gained during his impromptu visit. Frowning, I stride out of the clearing to find Caterina. His magic is not as powerful as mine on Neverland, it didn't matter what he thought he had gleaned, I am stronger than him here. My usual confidence fills me. He might hate me, but he could never hurt me, I had nothing to worry about.


	27. Chapter 26 - Progress

Cats POV

I was standing in the clearing behind where the strange scaly creature had appeared, waiting for Pan, very aware that I was alone and vulnerable. Visions of the attack I suffered last night at Felix's hands kept playing in front of my eyes. I was struggling to hold myself in one place and not run as fast as I could in any direction, knowing that it wouldn't help my situation right now. Especially not with that…Rumpelstiltskin wandering about here too. I had no idea what had happened earlier, he wouldn't let go of my hand, then when he leaned towards me I had a sudden fear that he was going to bite me with his sharp rotten teeth but he had dropped my hand like id burned him. I didn't know what his deal was but Im happy not to feel his cold, weird skin on mine any longer. My heart jumped into my throat as I felt a touch at my waist and I spin round, a scream tearing from my throat. I turn with such speed that I lose my balance, landing on my side at someone's feet. Scrabbling away, my throat closes up in terror and I can't breathe. Pans worried expression suddenly fills my vision. ''Love, it's only me, im sorry for startling you'' he says quietly and reaches a hand slowly towards me to help me up, seemingly anxious that any loud noise or sudden movement might frighten me more. It takes a few seconds for his words to pierce through the fog of raw fear surrounding my brain and the moment they sink in, my airways are suddenly open again, and I draw in a deep breath before a huge, gulping sob escapes. He puts his hand on my shoulder and I jerk away, and break down. He takes a few steps back from me before sitting on the ground and gazing at me, that same concerned expression on his face I had seen earlier, the one I wasn't sure if it was an act or not. I allow the pain to take over, bawling for a good 20 minutes straight before im able to compose myself enough to breathe normally. When I finally regain a normal breathing pattern, I sit up and stare at the ground, embarrassed by my breakdown.

''Caterina.'' I refuse to look up at him. I sense him creep closer to me and flinch. He sighs deeply before saying ''I promise, love, im not going to hurt you. Please look at me.'' I slowly meet his gaze, and am shocked to see pity reflecting back at me. ''How can I make this better?'' he queries. Anger floods through me at his question. ''What did you say?'' I hiss at him. His eyes widen with alarm at my tone. ''How can you make this better? Here's the answer, YOU CANT'' I shriek the last part, losing the tenuous grip on my rage at everything that's happened to me. ''This is ALL YOUR FAULT, you are the one who KIDNAPPED, HUNTED me, FORCED ME to, to….do things I didn't want to then allowed one of YOUR boys to violate me. And you want to know HOW YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER?'' My vocal cords feel like they are going to tear due to the volume and malice I put into those last works. He just gazes at me sorrowfully and the red hot fury fades slowly from my system, leaving me drained. ''I'll never feel normal again'' I whisper. He shuffles closer again, taking my hand out of my lap. I'm too tired to fight this action, though my skin crawls a little. ''I'm so sorry for what we did to you'' he murmurs, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand in a soothing gesture. ''I can't even begin to know what you are feeling, but please, if I can do anything to help you, just say the word.'' I look him straight in the eye for a beat before asking ''please send me home.'' His gaze becomes hooded and I see momentary anger cross his expression before he smooths it away. ''Caterina, I swear to you, I would if I could. The shadow can only go to the human realm once a month, and he was there 4 days ago to collect you, so he can't go back now until-'' ''Another 28 days'' I cut him off, horrified. ''No, you are lying, this can't be true, take me home now'' I order. Again, annoyance appears on his features. ''I never lie, im telling the truth, the shadow can't cross the borders between this world and yours more than once a month'' he insists. My shoulders droop as I realise im going to have to take his word for it, it's not like there's anything I can do about it. No, wait, there is something I can do to feel more…safe.

''OK. So…..if I can't go home, then I want to learn how to fight'' I say slowly. He just looks at me apprehensively. ''You said anything, being able to fight back and defend myself from you…..um I mean your gang would make me feel more secure, it would help me feel better, please, I need to know how to defend myself, I need to have one of those giant knives the other boys have, especially if im stuck here, I mean what if I come across another of those psycho mermaid creatures, or pirates! This is Neverland right, surely there are pirates here too, and Indians, I can't - mmpf!'' Pan covers my mouth with his hand silencing me for the moment. ''OK'' he exhales. ''You can train with the younger boys. Starting tomorrow. Felix-'' I cringe at the sound of his name. He frowns and moves his hand to my shoulder. ''I promise you, he will never touch you again, he knows what he risks losing. But he is my best fighter, you will learn the most from him.'' I shudder, defeated. If I want to learn how to fight, I guess learning from the best is the way to do it. Wait a minute; he said Felix was the best out of his boys, not on the island. ''What about you'' I query tentatively. ''Aren't you the best fighter on the island?'' Surely if Pan teaches me, no-one, including him, would be able to best me. He looks at me incredulously. ''You would rather train with me?'' I laugh internally, it's a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, but as the 'sea' had already hurt me, I'd have to take my chances with the devil. I swallow back my amusement before replying ''Yes, I would.'' He looks incredibly pleased with himself. ''In that case, yes, I'll help train you to fight. Just to start you off, you will have to join the boys in Felix's sessions at some point; I have other things to attend to. Now we best get back to camp for some rest, you have a very early start in the morning.'' He rises to his feet and holds a hand out to me, which I reluctantly take. Once again I find myself hauled into his arms and launched into the air and flying over the treetops back to camp, and despite myself I laugh at the exhilarating feeling.


End file.
